Nanomaterials are good candidates for the design of novel components with biomedical applications. For example, nano-patterned substrates may be used to immobilize protein molecules in order to integrate them in biosensing units. Here, we perform long MD simulations (up to 200 ns) using an explicit solvent and physiological ion concentrations to characterize the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) onto a nano-patterned graphite substrate. We have studied the effect of the orientation and step size on the protein adsorption and final conformation. Our results show that the protein is stable, with small changes in the protein secondary structure that are confined to the contact area and reveal the influence of nano-structuring on the spontaneous adsorption, protein-surface binding energies, and protein mobility. Although van der Waals (vdW) interactions play a dominant role, our simulations reveal the important role played by the hydrophobic lipid-binding sites of the BSA molecule in the adsorption process. The complex structure of these sites, that incorporate residues with different hydrophobic character, and their flexibility are crucial to understand the influence of the ion concentration and protein orientation in the different steps of the adsorption process. Our study provides useful information for the molecular engineering of components that require the immobilization of biomolecules and the preservation of their biological activity.

Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are the etiological agents of several infectious diseases. Antibiotic resistance by these three microbes has emerged as a prevalent problem due in part to the misuse of existing antibiotics and the lack of novel antibiotics. Nanoparticles have emerged as an alternative antibacterial agents to conventional antibiotics owing to their high surface area to volume ratio and their unique chemical and physical properties. Among the nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles have gained increasing attention because silver nanoparticles exhibit antibacterial activity against a range of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Nanoparticles of well-defined chemistry and morphology can be used in broad biomedical applications, especially in bone tissue engineering applications, where bone infection by bacteria can be acute and lethal. It is commonly noted in the literature that the activity of nanoparticles against microorganisms is dependent upon the size and concentration of the nanoparticles as well as the chemistry of stabilizing agent. To the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive study that evaluates the antibacterial activity of well characterized silver nanoparticles in particular Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) stabilized against S. aureus and E. coli and cytotoxicity level of BSA stabilized silver nanoparticles towards osteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1) is currently lacking. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to characterize protein conjugated silver nanoparticles prepared by chemical reduction of AgNO3 and BSA mixture. The formation of Ag/BSAnanoparticles was studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The molar ratio of silver to BSA in the Ag/BSAnanoparticles was established to be 27+/- 3: 1, based on Thermogravimetric Analysis and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Based on atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering,and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) measurements, the particle size (diameter) of

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been carried out to study the interaction of anionic silica nanoparticles (88 Å) with globular protein Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) (M.W. 66.4 kD) in aqueous solution. The measurements have been carried out on fixed concentration (1 wt %) of Ludox silica nanoparticles with varying concentration of BSA (0-5 wt %) at pH7. Results show that silica nanoparticles and BSA coexist as individual entities at low concentration of BSA where electrostatic repulsive interactions between them prevent their aggregation. However, as the concentration of BSA increases (≥ 0.5 wt %), it induces the attractive depletion interaction among nanoparticles leading to finally their aggregation at higher BSA concentration (2 wt %). The aggregates are found to be governed by the diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) morphology of fractal nature having fractal dimension about 2.4.

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been carried out to study the interaction of anionic silica nanoparticles (88 Å) with globular protein Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) (M.W. 66.4 kD) in aqueous solution. The measurements have been carried out on fixed concentration (1 wt %) of Ludox silica nanoparticles with varying concentration of BSA (0–5 wt %) at pH7. Results show that silica nanoparticles and BSA coexist as individual entities at low concentration of BSA where electrostatic repulsive interactions between them prevent their aggregation. However, as the concentration of BSA increases (≥ 0.5 wt %), it induces the attractive depletion interaction among nanoparticles leading to finally their aggregation at higher BSA concentration (2 wt %). The aggregates are found to be governed by the diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) morphology of fractal nature having fractal dimension about 2.4.

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been carried out to study the interaction of anionic silica nanoparticles (88 Å) with globular protein Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) (M.W. 66.4 kD) in aqueous solution. The measurements have been carried out on fixed concentration (1 wt %) of Ludox silica nanoparticles with varying concentration of BSA (0–5 wt %) at pH7. Results show that silica nanoparticles and BSA coexist as individual entities at low concentration of BSA where electrostatic repulsive interactions between them prevent their aggregation. However, as the concentration of BSA increases (≥ 0.5 wt %), it induces the attractive depletion interaction among nanoparticles leading to finally their aggregation at higher BSA concentration (2 wt %). The aggregates are found to be governed by the diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) morphology of fractal nature having fractal dimension about 2.4

Full Text Available The alternating magnetic field was discovered to be capable of inducing the fibrous aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles. However, this anisotropic aggregation may be unfavorable for practical applications. Here, we reported that the adsorption of BSA (bovine serum albumin on the surfaces of magnetic nanoparticles can effectively make the fibrous aggregation of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles turn into a more isotropic aggregation in the presence of the alternating magnetic field. Also, the heating curves with and without BSA adsorption under different pH conditions were measured to show the influence of the colloidal aggregation states on the collective calorific behavior of magnetic nanoparticles.

The effects of nonglycated bovine serum albumin (BSA) and advanced glycosylation end products of BSA (AGE-BSA) on vascular responses of control and metabolic syndrome (MS) rats characterized by hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance were studied. Albumin and in vitro prepared AGE-BSA have vascular effects; however, recent studies indicate that some effects of in vitro prepared AGEs are due to the conditions in which they were generated. We produced AGEs b...

Alkyl cyanoacrylates have long been used for the synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles. In the involved polymerization reaction, OH- ions derived from dissociation of water have been used as an initiator. In the current research, an animal protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules were utilized a...

The desolvation method was successfully used to prepare nanoparticles from bovine serum albumin (BSA) using ethanol, acetone, and their mixtures (70:30 and 50:50, respectively). Ethanol and mixtures of ethanol and acetone led to the most spherical nanoparticles, while using pure acetone resulted in a mixture of spherical and rod shape nanoparticle. Acetone was the solvent with higher encapsulation efficiency equal to 99.2 ± 0.36 %. The polydispersity values of BSA NPs in this study were 0.045 ± 0.007, 0.065 ± 0.013, 0.091 ± 0.012, and 0.120 ± 0.016 for ethanol (100) 4×, Et:Ac (70:30) 4×, Et:Ac (50:50) 4×, and acetone (100) 3×, respectively. Encapsulation efficiencies of curcumin inside BSA NPs were 19.4 ± 2.2 and 19.8 ± 1.6 % for 1.0 and 1.5 molar ratios of curcumin to BSA, respectively. Crosslinking using glutaraldehyde improved the stability of BSA NPs and curcumin-loaded BSA NPs and both groups of nanoparticles were stable for 1 month; the lyophilized curcumin-loaded BSA NPs were able to redisperse in water. The particle size and polydispersity index of redispersed NPs were higher than the original NPs before lyophilization. The size distribution study shows that after 10 s of sonication most nanoparticles were well dispersed; however, a small but significant fraction formed aggregates. Sonication for 10 s decreased the effective diameter and polydispersity of the redispersed nanoparticles, while increasing the sonication time to 20 s did not show significant changes. In vitro release study of curcumin from BSA NPs showed that these biocompatible nanoparticles have the ability to be used as a carrier to improve controlled release of curcumin.

Full Text Available The effect of a naphthalimide pharmacophore coupled with diverse substituents on the interaction between naphthalimide-polyamine conjugates 1–4 and bovine serum albumin (BSA was studied by UV absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD spectroscopy under physiological conditions (pH = 7.4. The observed spectral quenching of BSA by the compounds indicated that they could bind to BSA. Furthermore, caloric fluorescent tests revealed that the quenching mechanisms of compounds 1–3 were basically static type, but that of compound 4 was closer to a classical type. The Ksv values at room temperature for compound-BSA complexes-1-BSA, 2-BSA, 3-BSA and 4-BSA were 1.438 × 104, 3.190 × 104, 5.700 × 104 and 4.745 × 105, respectively, compared with the value of MINS, 2.863 × 104 at Ex = 280 nm. The obtained quenching constant, binding constant and thermodynamic parameter suggested that the binding between compounds 1–4 with BSA protein, significantly affected by the substituted groups on the naphthalene backbone, was formed by hydrogen bonds, and other principle forces mainly consisting of charged and hydrophobic interactions. Based on results from the analysis of synchronous three-dimensional ﬂuorescence and CD spectra, we can conclude that the interaction between compounds 1–4 and BSA protein has little impact on the BSA conformation. Calculated results obtained from in silico molecular simulation showed that compound 1 did not prefer either enzymatic drug sites I or II over the other. However, DSII in BSA was more beneficial than DSI for the binding between compounds 2–4 and BSA protein. The binding between compounds 1–3 and BSA was hydrophobic in nature, compared with the electrostatic interaction between compound 4 and BSA.

The effect of a naphthalimide pharmacophore coupled with diverse substituents on the interaction between naphthalimide-polyamine conjugates 1-4 and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by UV absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy under physiological conditions (pH = 7.4). The observed spectral quenching of BSA by the compounds indicated that they could bind to BSA. Furthermore, caloric fluorescent tests revealed that the quenching mechanisms of compounds 1-3 were basically static type, but that of compound 4 was closer to a classical type. The Ksv values at room temperature for compound-BSA complexes-1-BSA, 2-BSA, 3-BSA and 4-BSA were 1.438 × 10⁴, 3.190 × 10⁴, 5.700 × 10⁴ and 4.745 × 10⁵, respectively, compared with the value of MINS, 2.863 × 10⁴ at Ex = 280 nm. The obtained quenching constant, binding constant and thermodynamic parameter suggested that the binding between compounds 1-4 with BSA protein, significantly affected by the substituted groups on the naphthalene backbone, was formed by hydrogen bonds, and other principle forces mainly consisting of charged and hydrophobic interactions. Based on results from the analysis of synchronous three-dimensional ﬂuorescence and CD spectra, we can conclude that the interaction between compounds 1-4 and BSA protein has little impact on the BSA conformation. Calculated results obtained from in silico molecular simulation showed that compound 1 did not prefer either enzymatic drug sites I or II over the other. However, DSII in BSA was more beneficial than DSI for the binding between compounds 2-4 and BSA protein. The binding between compounds 1-3 and BSA was hydrophobic in nature, compared with the electrostatic interaction between compound 4 and BSA.

Nanoparticles (NP) into a biological environment are an interesting topic for diagnosis and therapy in applications for medicine or environment and the knowledge about this interaction is important from the perspective of safe use of nanomaterials. In the current study, we characterized the type of interaction and the orientation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorbed on ZnO nanoparticle surfaces as a function of size, using molecular docking. To probe experimentally different theoretical hypothesis about the interaction, ZnO-NPs were prepared in aqueous solution, and then were bioconjugated with BSA. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy confirm the spherical shape of NP and the irreversible adsorption of BSA on NP surface. Raman and Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) reveal that BSA interaction with ZnO nanoparticle produced a conformational rearrangement into protein, observing changes in Tyr and Trp environment, a minor percentage of α-helix structure and a more extended chain. The fluorescence analysis demonstrated that when BSA concentration higher than 30 μM is used the signal due to the self-oligomerization of protein overlaps with the ZnO nanoparticle emission. The results predicted that the most probable interaction site is near to domain IB and IIA and ionic interactions are the major responsible for the binding. Thermal stability studies reveals that the denaturalization temperature of BSA increase from 57 °C to 65 °C in presence of ZnO NP and their esterase-like activity was improved.

Highlights: • The ZnO NPs have synthesized at moderate temperature and conjugated with BSA to elucidate the characteristics of best binding site in the protein cavity. • The Docking studies have successfully applied to identify the amino acids residues involved in the interaction. • The cytotoxicity of ZnO NPs and ZnO-BSA NPs and esterase-like activity of the protein have evaluated, with very promising results for medical applications. - Abstract: Nanoparticles (NP) into a biological environment are an interesting topic for diagnosis and therapy in applications for medicine or environment and the knowledge about this interaction is important from the perspective of safe use of nanomaterials. In the current study, we characterized the type of interaction and the orientation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorbed on ZnO nanoparticle surfaces as a function of size, using molecular docking. To probe experimentally different theoretical hypothesis about the interaction, ZnO-NPs were prepared in aqueous solution, and then were bioconjugated with BSA. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy confirm the spherical shape of NP and the irreversible adsorption of BSA on NP surface. Raman and Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) reveal that BSA interaction with ZnO nanoparticle produced a conformational rearrangement into protein, observing changes in Tyr and Trp environment, a minor percentage of α-helix structure and a more extended chain. The fluorescence analysis demonstrated that when BSA concentration higher than 30 μM is used the signal due to the self-oligomerization of protein overlaps with the ZnO nanoparticle emission. The results predicted that the most probable interaction site is near to domain IB and IIA and ionic interactions are the major responsible for the binding. Thermal stability studies reveals that the denaturalization temperature of BSA increase from 57 °C to 65 °C in presence of ZnO NP and their esterase-like activity was

Highlights: • The ZnO NPs have synthesized at moderate temperature and conjugated with BSA to elucidate the characteristics of best binding site in the protein cavity. • The Docking studies have successfully applied to identify the amino acids residues involved in the interaction. • The cytotoxicity of ZnO NPs and ZnO-BSA NPs and esterase-like activity of the protein have evaluated, with very promising results for medical applications. - Abstract: Nanoparticles (NP) into a biological environment are an interesting topic for diagnosis and therapy in applications for medicine or environment and the knowledge about this interaction is important from the perspective of safe use of nanomaterials. In the current study, we characterized the type of interaction and the orientation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorbed on ZnO nanoparticle surfaces as a function of size, using molecular docking. To probe experimentally different theoretical hypothesis about the interaction, ZnO-NPs were prepared in aqueous solution, and then were bioconjugated with BSA. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy confirm the spherical shape of NP and the irreversible adsorption of BSA on NP surface. Raman and Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) reveal that BSA interaction with ZnO nanoparticle produced a conformational rearrangement into protein, observing changes in Tyr and Trp environment, a minor percentage of α-helix structure and a more extended chain. The fluorescence analysis demonstrated that when BSA concentration higher than 30 μM is used the signal due to the self-oligomerization of protein overlaps with the ZnO nanoparticle emission. The results predicted that the most probable interaction site is near to domain IB and IIA and ionic interactions are the major responsible for the binding. Thermal stability studies reveals that the denaturalization temperature of BSA increase from 57 °C to 65 °C in presence of ZnO NP and their esterase-like activity was

Alkyl cyanoacrylates have long been used for the synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles. In the involved polymerization reaction, hydroxyl ions derived from dissociation of water have been used as an initiator. In the current research, an animal protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules were utilized as initiator for the polymerization. Following this reaction scheme, hydrophobic poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate)s were covalently bound to BSA, which is hydrophilic. Therefore, the resultant copolymer was amphiphilic in nature, and formed nanoparticles in the reaction medium. The suspension containing these nanoparticles showed an excellent coating capability on the surface of hydrophobic materials. A simple spray coating changed the wetting property of the material instantly and dramatically. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The adverse effects of metal-based nanoparticles on human beings and the environment have received extensive attention recently. It is urgently required to develop a simple and effective method to suppress the toxicity of metal-based nanomaterials. In this study, a hydrophobic antioxidant and a chelation agent curcumin (CUR) were encapsulated into bovine serum albumin (BSA) particles by a simple co-precipitation method, and followed by glutaraldehyde cross-linking. The CUR/BSA particles had an average size of 300 nm in diameter with a negatively charged surface and sustained curcumin release properties. The cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of CUR/BSA particles were followed on A549 cells, HepG2 cells and RAW264.7 cells. The CUR/BSA particles had higher intracellular accumulation and lower cytotoxicity compared with the free curcumin at the same drug concentration. The CUR/BSA particles could suppress the cytotoxicity generated by CuO nanoparticles as a result of decrease of both the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and Cu(2+) concentration, while the free curcumin did not show any obvious detoxicating effect. The detoxicating effects of CUR/BSA particles were further studied in an intratracheal instillation model in vivo, demonstrating significant reduction of toxicity and inflammatory response in rat lungs induced by CuO nanoparticles. The concept-proving study demonstrates the potential of the CUR/BSA particles in suppressing cytotoxicity of metal-based nanomaterials, which is a paramount requirement for the safe application of nanotechnology.

The adverse effects of metal-based nanoparticles on human beings and the environment have received extensive attention recently. It is urgently required to develop a simple and effective method to suppress the toxicity of metal-based nanomaterials. In this study, a hydrophobic antioxidant and a chelation agent curcumin (CUR) were encapsulated into bovine serum albumin (BSA) particles by a simple co-precipitation method, and followed by glutaraldehyde cross-linking. The CUR/BSA particles had an average size of 300 nm in diameter with a negatively charged surface and sustained curcumin release properties. The cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of CUR/BSA particles were followed on A549 cells, HepG2 cells and RAW264.7 cells. The CUR/BSA particles had higher intracellular accumulation and lower cytotoxicity compared with the free curcumin at the same drug concentration. The CUR/BSA particles could suppress the cytotoxicity generated by CuO nanoparticles as a result of decrease of both the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and Cu2+ concentration, while the free curcumin did not show any obvious detoxicating effect. The detoxicating effects of CUR/BSA particles were further studied in an intratracheal instillation model in vivo, demonstrating significant reduction of toxicity and inflammatory response in rat lungs induced by CuO nanoparticles. The concept-proving study demonstrates the potential of the CUR/BSA particles in suppressing cytotoxicity of metal-based nanomaterials, which is a paramount requirement for the safe application of nanotechnology.

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Currently, the discovery of effective chemotherapeutic agents poses a major challenge to the field of cancer biology. The present study focuses on enhancing the therapeutic and anti cancer properties of atorvastatin calcium loaded BSA (ATV-BSAnanoparticles in vitro. METHODOLOGY/RESULTS: BSA-ATV nanoparticles were prepared using desolvation technique. The process parameters were optimized based on the amount of desolvating agent, stabilization conditions as well as the concentration of the cross linker. The anti cancer properties of the protein coated ATV nanoparticles were tested on MiaPaCa-2 cell lines. In vitro release behavior of the drug from the carrier suggests that about 85% of the drug gets released after 72 hrs. Our studies show that ATV-BSAnanoparticles showed specific targeting and enhanced cytotoxicity to MiaPaCa-2 cells when compared to the bare ATV. CONCLUSION: We hereby propose that the possible mechanism of cellular uptake of albumin bound ATV could be through caveolin mediated endocytosis. Hence our studies open up new facet for an existing cholesterol drug as a potent anti-cancer agent.

Currently, the discovery of effective chemotherapeutic agents poses a major challenge to the field of cancer biology. The present study focuses on enhancing the therapeutic and anti cancer properties of atorvastatin calcium loaded BSA (ATV-BSA) nanoparticles in vitro. BSA-ATV nanoparticles were prepared using desolvation technique. The process parameters were optimized based on the amount of desolvating agent, stabilization conditions as well as the concentration of the cross linker. The anti cancer properties of the protein coated ATV nanoparticles were tested on MiaPaCa-2 cell lines. In vitro release behavior of the drug from the carrier suggests that about 85% of the drug gets released after 72 hrs. Our studies show that ATV-BSAnanoparticles showed specific targeting and enhanced cytotoxicity to MiaPaCa-2 cells when compared to the bare ATV. We hereby propose that the possible mechanism of cellular uptake of albumin bound ATV could be through caveolin mediated endocytosis. Hence our studies open up new facet for an existing cholesterol drug as a potent anti-cancer agent.

Background Currently, the discovery of effective chemotherapeutic agents poses a major challenge to the field of cancer biology. The present study focuses on enhancing the therapeutic and anti cancer properties of atorvastatin calcium loaded BSA (ATV-BSA) nanoparticles in vitro. Methodology/Results BSA-ATV nanoparticles were prepared using desolvation technique. The process parameters were optimized based on the amount of desolvating agent, stabilization conditions as well as the concentration of the cross linker. The anti cancer properties of the protein coated ATV nanoparticles were tested on MiaPaCa-2 cell lines. In vitro release behavior of the drug from the carrier suggests that about 85% of the drug gets released after 72 hrs. Our studies show that ATV-BSAnanoparticles showed specific targeting and enhanced cytotoxicity to MiaPaCa-2 cells when compared to the bare ATV. Conclusion We hereby propose that the possible mechanism of cellular uptake of albumin bound ATV could be through caveolin mediated endocytosis. Hence our studies open up new facet for an existing cholesterol drug as a potent anti-cancer agent. PMID:24498272

The sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has become an attractive antitumor treatment method in recent years, but the selection of sonosensitizer, mechanism of damage biomolecule and kind of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during sonodynamic process have not been investigated in detail. In this paper, the acridine red (AD-R), as a sonosensitizer, combining with ultrasonic irradiation to damage bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated. At first, the interaction of AD-R to BSA molecules in aqueous solution was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. As judged from the experimental results, the quenching mechanism of BSA fluorescence belongs to a static process. Synchronous fluorescence spectra demonstrate that the binding and damage sites to BSA molecules are mainly on the tryptophan residues. The generation and kind of generated ROS were also estimated by the method of oxidation and extraction photometry. This paper may offer some valuable references for the study of the sonodynamic activity and application of AD-R in SDT for tumor treatment. - Highlights: ●Acridine red (AD-R) is used to study interaction with BSA. ●Spectroscopy is used to study sonodynamic damage activity of AD-R to BSA. ●Generation of ROS caused by AD-R under ultrasonic irradiation was determined.

An effective strategy has been developed for synthesis of radionuclide immune albumin nanospheres (131I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs). In vitro as well as in vivo targeting of 131I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs to AFP-positive hepatoma was examined. In cultured HepG2 cells, the uptake and retention rates of 131I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs were remarkably higher than those of 131I alone. As well, the uptake rate and retention ratios of 131I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs in AFP-positive HepG2 cells were also significantly higher than those in AFP-negative HEK293 cells. Compared to 131I alone, 131I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs were much more easily taken in and retained by hepatoma tissue, with a much higher T/NT. Due to good drug-loading, high encapsulation ratio, and highly selective affinity for AFP-positive tumors, the 131I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs are promising for further effective radiation-gene therapy of hepatoma. PMID:26981334

An effective strategy has been developed for synthesis of radionuclide immune albumin nanospheres ((131)I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs). In vitro as well as in vivo targeting of (131)I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs to AFP-positive hepatoma was examined. In cultured HepG2 cells, the uptake and retention rates of (131)I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs were remarkably higher than those of (131)I alone. As well, the uptake rate and retention ratios of (131)I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs in AFP-positive HepG2 cells were also significantly higher than those in AFP-negative HEK293 cells. Compared to (131)I alone, (131)I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs were much more easily taken in and retained by hepatoma tissue, with a much higher T/NT. Due to good drug-loading, high encapsulation ratio, and highly selective affinity for AFP-positive tumors, the (131)I-antiAFPMcAb-GCV-BSA-NPs are promising for further effective radiation-gene therapy of hepatoma.

Full Text Available We report here the UV radiation sensitivity of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA bound silver nanoparticles (62 nm diameter to various power density between 468 mJ/cm2 to 1872 mJ/cm2 under physiological conditions. The functional properties associated with BSA such as esterase activity, free thiols and copper ion binding have been studied. Decrease in free thiols, with increase in copper ion binding and P- nitrophenyl acetate (PNPA turnover were observed in BSA bound silver nanoparticles (SNP in the presence of UV radiation. Intrinsic fluorescence intensity of BSA bound SNP was decreased with UV radiation. Circular Dichroism results indicated a decrease in alpha helical content of BSA bound SNP. The overall results suggest modifications in structure–function properties of BSA bound to SNP in the presence of UV radiation. The possible mechanisms of interaction between BSA and SNP have been explained in presence of UV radiation.

Spectrophotometric behavior of riboflavin (RF) adsorbed on silver nanoparticles as well as its interaction with two serum albumins, BSA and HSA, respectively, has been evidenced. The time evolution of the plasmonic features of the complexes formed by RF/BSA/HSA and Ag(0) nanoparticles having an average diameter of 10.0 {+-} 2.0 nm have been investigated by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, the structure, stability, and dynamics of the serum albumins have been studied. The efficiency of energy transfer process between RF and serum albumins on silver nanoparticles has been estimated. A reaction mechanism of RF with silver nanoparticles is also proposed and the results are discussed with relevance to the involvement of the silver nanoparticles to the redox process of RF and to the RF-serum albumins interaction into a silver nanoparticles complex.

Spectrophotometric behavior of riboflavin (RF) adsorbed on silver nanoparticles as well as its interaction with two serum albumins, BSA and HSA, respectively, has been evidenced. The time evolution of the plasmonic features of the complexes formed by RF/BSA/HSA and Ag(0) nanoparticles having an average diameter of 10.0 ± 2.0 nm have been investigated by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, the structure, stability, and dynamics of the serum albumins have been studied. The efficiency of energy transfer process between RF and serum albumins on silver nanoparticles has been estimated. A reaction mechanism of RF with silver nanoparticles is also proposed and the results are discussed with relevance to the involvement of the silver nanoparticles to the redox process of RF and to the RF-serum albumins interaction into a silver nanoparticles complex.

Good's buffers ionic liquids (GB-ILs), composed of cholinium-based cations and Good's buffers anions, display self-buffering characteristics in the biological pH range, and their polarity and hydrophobicity can be easily tuned by a proper manipulation of their ions chemical structures. In this work, the extraction ability for bovine serum albumin (BSA) of aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) formed by polypropylene glycol 400 (PPG 400) and several GB-ILs was evaluated. ABS formed by PPG 400 and cholinium chloride ([Ch]Cl), GBs, and sucrose were also investigated for comparison purposes. It is shown that BSA preferentially migrates for the GB-IL-rich phase, with extraction efficiencies of 100%, achieved in a single-step. Dynamic light scattering, and circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies were employed to evaluate the effect of the investigated cholinium-based GB-ILs on the BSA stability, and compared with results obtained for the respective GBs precursors, [Ch]Cl and sucrose, a well-known protein stabilizer. Molecular docking studies were also carried out to investigate on the binding sites of GB-IL ions to BSA. The experimental results confirm that BSA has a higher stability in GB-ILs than in any of the other compounds investigated.

Nanoparticle-albumin complexes are being designed for targeted drug delivery and imaging. However, the changes in the functional properties of albumin due to adsorption on nanoparticles remain elusive. Thus, the objective of this work was to elucidate the structural and functional properties of human and bovine serum albumin bound to negatively charged gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Fluorescence data demonstrated static quenching of albumin by GNP with the quenching of buried as well as surface tryptophan in BSA. The binding process was enthalpy and entropy-driven in HSA and BSA, respectively. At lower concentrations of GNP there was a higher affinity for tryptophan, whereas at higher concentrations both tryptophan and tyrosine participated in the interaction. Synchronous fluorescence spectra revealed that the microenvironment of tryptophan in HSA turned more hydrophilic upon exposure to GNP. The α-helical content of albumin was unaltered by GNP. Approximately 37 and 23% reduction in specific activity of HSA and BSA was observed due to GNP binding. In presence of warfarin and ibuprofen the binding constants of albumin-GNP complexes were altered. A very interesting observation not reported so far is the retained antioxidant activity of albumin in presence of GNP i.e. we believe that GNPs did not bind to the free sulfhydryl groups of albumin. However enhanced levels of copper binding were observed. We have also highlighted the differential response in albumin due to gold and silver nanoparticles which could be attributed to differences in the charge of the nanoparticle.

Full Text Available Super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION were augmented by both hyaluronic acid (HA and bovine serum albumin (BSA, each covalently conjugated to dopamine (DA enabling their anchoring to the SPION. HA and BSA were found to simultaneously serve as stabilizing polymers of Fe3O4·DA-BSA/HA in water. Fe3O4·DA-BSA/HA efficiently entrapped and released the hydrophobic cytotoxic drug paclitaxel (PTX. The relative amount of HA and BSA modulates not only the total solubility but also the paramagnetic relaxation properties of the preparation. The entrapping of PTX did not influence the paramagnetic relaxation properties of Fe3O4·DA-BSA. Thus, by tuning the surface structure and loading, we can tune the theranostic properties of the system.

Triptolide is a major active constituent isolated from Tripterygiumwilfordii Hook F, a Chinese herbal medicine. This study investigated the intermolecular interaction between triptolide and bovine serum albumin (BSA). The fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) and molecular docking methods were used to investigate the intermolecular interaction between triptolide and BSA. The binding constant, the number of binding sites, binding subdomain and the thermodynamic parameters were measured. The results of this experiment revealed that the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA was effectively quenched by triptolide via static quenching. The experimental results of synchronous fluorescence and CD spectra showed that the conformation of BSA was changed in the presence of triptolide. It indicated that triptolide could spontaneously bind on site II (subdomain IIIA) of BSA mainly via hydrogen bonding interactions and Van der Waals force.

The aim of the present study was to develop acyclovir (ACV) ocular drug delivery systems of bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles as well as to assess their in vitro transcorneal permeation across human corneal epithelial (HCE-T) cell multilayers. The ACV-loaded BSAnanoparticles were prepared by desolvation method along with physicochemical characterization, cytotoxicity, as well as in vitro transcorneal permeation studies across HCE-T cell multilayers. The nanoparticles appeared to be spherical in shape and nearly uniform in size of about 200 nm. The size of nanoparticles became smaller with decreasing BSA concentration, while the ratios of water to ethanol seemed not to affect the size. Increasing the amount of ethanol in desolvation process led to significant reduction of drug entrapment of nanoparticles with smaller size and more uniformity. The ACV-loaded BSAnanoparticles prepared were shown to have no cytotoxic effect on HCE-T cells used in permeation studies. The in vitro transcorneal permeation results revealed that ACV could permeate through the HCE-T cell multilayers significantly higher from BSAnanoparticles than from aqueous ACV solutions. The ACV-loaded BSAnanoparticles could be prepared by desolvation method without glutaraldehyde in the formulation. ACV could increasingly permeate through the multilayers of HCE-T cells from the ACV-loaded BSAnanoparticles. Therefore, the ACV-loaded BSAnanoparticles could be a highly potential ocular drug delivery system.

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used for drug delivery applications due to high biodegradability, low toxicity and high loading capacity. The focus of this study is the development of photosensitizer Photosens (PS) loaded albumin NPs for efficient photodynamic therapy (PDT). To fabricate PS-loaded bovine serum albuminnanoparticles (BSA-PS NPs), we used a coacervation method with glutaraldehyde followed by passive loading of PS. Successful loading of PS was confirmed by appearance of characteristic peak in absorption spectrum which allows to determine the PS loading in BSA NPs. The synthesized BSA-PS NPs demonstrated low toxicity to HeLa cells at therapeutic concentrations of loaded PS. Compared to free PS solution, the synthesized BSA-PS NPs generated the singlet oxygen more effectively under laser irradiation at 660 nm. In addition, due to presence of various chemical groups on the surface of BSA-PS NPs, they are capable to adsorb on cell surface and accumulate in cells due to cellular uptake mechanisms. Owing to combination of PD and cell uptake advantages, BSA-PS NPs demonstrated higher efficacy of photodynamic damage to cancer cells as compared to free PS at equivalent concentrations. These results suggest that non-targeted BSA-PS NPs with high PD activity and low-fabrication costs of are promising candidates for transfer to PD clinic treatments.

This paper describes the use of nanoparticle characterisation tools to evaluate the interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and dispersed nanoparticles in aqueous media. Dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential measurements and scanning electron microscopy were used to probe the state of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanoparticles in the presence of various concentrations of BSA, throughout a three-day period. BSA was shown to adhere to ZnO but not to TiO(2). The adsorption of BSA led to subsequent de-agglomeration of the sub-micron ZnO clusters into smaller fragments, even breaking them up into individual isolated nanoparticles. We propose that certain factors, such as adsorption kinetics of BSA on to the surface of ZnO, as well as the initial agglomerated state of the ZnO, prior to BSA addition, are responsible for promoting the de-agglomeration process. Hence, in the case of TiO(2) we see no de-agglomeration because: (a) the nanoparticles are more highly agglomerated to begin with and (b) BSA does not adsorb effectively on the surface of the nanoparticles. The zeta-potential results show that, for either ZnO or TiO(2), the presence of BSA resulted in enhanced stability. In the case of ZnO, the enhanced stability is limited to BSA concentrations below 0.5 wt.%. Steric and electrostatic repulsion are thought to be responsible for improved stability of the dispersion.

Phytochemical investigation on the methanol extract of Woodwardia unigemmata resulted in the isolation of seven flavonoids, including one new flavonol acylglycoside ( 1 ). The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis and comparison of literature data. The multidrug resistance (MDR) reversing activity was evaluated for the isolated compounds using doxorubicin-resistant K562/A02 cells model. Compound 6 showed comparable MDR reversing effect to verapamil. Furthermore, the interaction between compounds and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by spectroscopic methods, including steady-state fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies, and molecular docking approach. The experimental results indicated that the seven flavonoids bind to BSA by static quenching mechanisms. The negative ΔH and ΔS values indicated that van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonds contributed in the binding of compounds 2 - 6 to BSA. In the case of compounds 1 and 7 systems, the hydrophobic interactions play a major role. The binding of compounds to BSA causes slight changes in the secondary structure of BSA. There are two binding sites of compound 6 on BSA and site I is the main site according to the molecular docking studies and the site marker competitive binding assay.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are a new option for pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries due to their interesting chemical, electrical and catalytic properties. Research for cancer treatments have been developed using this promising radiotherapy agent. The challenge of gold nanoparticles is to keep them stable, due to metallic behavior. It is know that surface plasma resonance promotes agglomeration of metallic nanoparticles, but they are not stable. Stabilizers have been used to reduce agglomeration. The aim of this work is reduction of HAuCl 4 salt to AuNPs performed by gamma radiation 60 Co source and the stabilization of gold nanoparticles using bovine serum albumin (BSA) fraction V as stabilizer agent. AuNPs were characterized by UV-visible to verify the nanoparticles formation. Samples containing BSA and samples obtained by the conventional method (without stabilizer) were monitored for two weeks and analyzed. Results were compared. (author)

Graphical abstract: The physiochemical properties of nanoparticles provide the basic aspects about the conformational transitions which could have a strong bearing on the bioavailability for bioactive molecules such as peptides and hormones. - Highlights: • Synthesis and surface and structural properties of Bovine Serum Albuminnanoparticles (BSANPs). • Study of conformational transitions of BSANPs by spectroscopic techniques. • Studies on the effect of pH and protein concentration on formulation of BSANPs. - Abstract: The protein nanoparticles formulation is a challenging task as they are prone to undergo conformational transitions while processing which may affect bioavailability for bioactive compounds. Herein, a modified desolvation method is employed to prepare Bovine Serum Albuminnanoparticles, with controllable particle size ranging from 100 to 300 nm and low polydispersity index. The factors influencing the size and structure of BSA NPs viz. protein concentration, pH and the conditions for purification are well investigated. The structure of BSA NPs is altered due to processing, and may affect the effective binding ability with drugs and bioactive compounds. With that aims, investigations of molecular characteristics of BSA NPs are carried out in detail by using spectroscopic techniques. UV–visible absorption and Fourier Transform Infrared demonstrate the alteration in protein structure of BSA NPs whereas the FT-Raman spectroscopy investigates changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of the protein. The conformational changes of BSA NPs are observed by change in fluorescence intensity and emission maximum wavelength of tryptophan residue by fluorescence spectroscopy. The field emission scanning electron and atomic force microscopy micrographs confirm the size and semi-spherical morphology of the BSA NPs. The effect of concentration and pH on particle size distribution is studied by particle size analyzer.

Lysozyme (M.W. 14.7 kD) and BSA (M.W. 66.7 kD) are two most commonly studied model proteins in literature. Lysozyme (cationic) and BSA (anionic) are oppositely charged at pH 7 and their interaction with anionic silica nanoparticles has been studied using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Measurements were carried out on fixed 1 wt% concentration of nanoparticles and varying concentration of protein in the range 0.5 to 2 wt%. It is found that both the proteins adsorb on the nanoparticles where strong interaction of lysozyme leads to the aggregation of nanoparticles but the system remains stable with BSA. Adsorption increases with protein concentration and has been found much larger for lysozyme.

Full Text Available We have previously identified extensive glycation, bound fatty acids and increased quantities of protein aggregates in commercially available recombinant HSA (rHSA expressed in Oryza sativa (Asian rice (OsrHSA when compared to rHSA from other expression systems. We propose these differences may alter some attributes of nanoparticles fabricated with OsrHSA, as studies have associated greater quantities of aggregates with increased nanoparticle diameters. To determine if this is the case, nanoparticles were fabricated with OsrHSA from various suppliers using ethanol desolvation and subsequent glutaraldehyde cross-linking. All nanoparticles fabricated with OsrHSA showed larger diameters of approximately 20 to 90nm than particles fabricated with either defatted bovine serum albumin (DF-BSA (100.9 ± 2.8nm or human plasma albumin (pHSA (112.0 ± 4.0nm. It was hypothesized that the larger nanoparticle diameters were due to the presence of bound fatty acids and this was confirmed through defatting OsrHSA prior to particle fabrication which yielded particles with diameters similar to those fabricated with pHSA. For additional conformation, DF-BSA was incubated with dodecanoic acid prior to desolvation yielding particles with significantly larger diameters. Further studies showed the increased nanoparticle diameters were due to the bound fatty acids modulating electrostatic interactions between albuminnanoparticles during the desolvation and not changes in protein structure, stability or generation of additional albumin oligomers. Finally the presence of dodecanoic acid was shown to improve doxorubicin loading efficiency onto preformed albuminnanoparticles.

The binding interaction between quinapril (QNPL) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in vitro has been investigated using UV absorption spectroscopy, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopic, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, 3D fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and molecular docking methods for obtaining the binding information of QNPL with BSA. The experimental results confirm that the quenching mechanism of the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA induced by QNPL is static quenching based on the decrease in the quenching constants of BSA in the presence of QNPL with the increase in temperature and the quenching rates of BSA larger than 10 10 L mol -1 s -1 , indicating forming QNPL-BSA complex through the intermolecular binding interaction. The binding constant for the QNPL-BSA complex is in the order of 10 5 M -1 , indicating there is stronger binding interaction of QNPL with BSA. The analysis of thermodynamic parameters together with molecular docking study reveal that the main binding forces in the binding process of QNPL with BSA are van der Waal's forces and hydrogen bonding interaction. And, the binding interaction of BSA with QNPL is an enthalpy-driven process. Based on Förster resonance energy transfer, the binding distance between QNPL and BSA is calculated to be 2.76 nm. The results of the competitive binding experiments and molecular docking confirm that QNPL binds to sub-domain IIA (site I) of BSA. It is confirmed there is a slight change in the conformation of BSA after binding QNPL, but BSA still retains its secondary structure α-helicity.

We have developed a microwave-assisted method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) whose surface is modified with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The reaction involves reduction of the BSA-Ag(I) complex by tyrosine in strongly alkaline solution to form BSA-AgNPs. The reaction takes a few minutes only owing to rapid and uniform microwave heating. The modified AgNPs were characterized by UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The BSA-AgNPs are yellow and display luminescence with a maximum at 521 nm if excited at 465 nm. They have a hydrodynamic diameter of 3–5 nm and possess good colloidal stability in the pH 4.6 to 12.0 range. The fluorescence of the BSA-AgNPs is enhanced by Cd(II) ion due to the formation of a stable hybrid conjugate referred to as Cd-BSA-AgNPs. The effect was exploited to quantify Cd(II) in spiked real water samples with a 4.7 nM detection limit, and also to fluorescently image Cd(II) in Hepatoma cells. (author)

SANS measurements have been carried out to examine the modifications in interaction and structure of anionic silica nanoparticle with anionic BSA protein in presence of an electrolyte. The phase behaviour of anionic silica nanoparticle and anionic BSA protein is governed by the protein induced depletion interaction between nanoparticles. Both nanoparticle and protein coexist individually at low protein concentrations as electrostatic repulsion dominates over the depletion interaction. However, depletion induced fractal aggregates of nanoparticles are formed at higher protein concentrations. These aggregates can be formed at much smaller protein concentration in presence of an electrolyte. We show that both the electrostatic (decrease) and depletion interaction (increase) are modified with an electrolyte. The range of the depletion interaction is found to be significantly larger than the electrostatic interaction.

Nanoparticles (NPs) entering the biological environment could interact with biomolecules, but little is known about the interaction between unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and NPs. This study used α-linolenic acid (LNA) complexed to bovine serum albumin (BSA) for UFA and HepG2 cells for hepatocytes. The interactions between BSA or LNA and ZnO NPs were studied. The presence of BSA or LNA affected the hydrodynamic size, zeta potential, UV-Vis, fluorescence, and synchronous fluorescence spectra of ZnO NPs, which indicated an interaction between BSA or LNA and NPs. Exposure to ZnO NPs with the presence of BSA significantly induced the damage to mitochondria and lysosomes in HepG2 cells, associated with an increase of intracellular Zn ions, but not intracellular superoxide. Paradoxically, the release of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) was decreased, which indicated the anti-inflammatory effects of ZnO NPs when BSA was present. The presence of LNA did not significantly affect all of these endpoints in HepG2 cells exposed to ZnO NPs and BSA. the results from the present study indicated that BSA-complexed LNA might modestly interact with ZnO NPs, but did not significantly affect ZnO NPs and BSA-induced biological effects in HepG2 cells.

Full Text Available Background: Nanoparticles (NPs entering the biological environment could interact with biomolecules, but little is known about the interaction between unsaturated fatty acids (UFA and NPs. Methods: This study used α-linolenic acid (LNA complexed to bovine serum albumin (BSA for UFA and HepG2 cells for hepatocytes. The interactions between BSA or LNA and ZnO NPs were studied. Results: The presence of BSA or LNA affected the hydrodynamic size, zeta potential, UV-Vis, fluorescence, and synchronous fluorescence spectra of ZnO NPs, which indicated an interaction between BSA or LNA and NPs. Exposure to ZnO NPs with the presence of BSA significantly induced the damage to mitochondria and lysosomes in HepG2 cells, associated with an increase of intracellular Zn ions, but not intracellular superoxide. Paradoxically, the release of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6 was decreased, which indicated the anti-inflammatory effects of ZnO NPs when BSA was present. The presence of LNA did not significantly affect all of these endpoints in HepG2 cells exposed to ZnO NPs and BSA. Conclusions: the results from the present study indicated that BSA-complexed LNA might modestly interact with ZnO NPs, but did not significantly affect ZnO NPs and BSA-induced biological effects in HepG2 cells.

The interaction of three dicationic (gemini) surfactants-3,3'-[1,6-(2,5-dioxahexane)]bis(1-dodecylimidazolium) chloride (oxyC2), 3,3'-[1,16-(2,15-dioxahexadecane)]bis(1-dodecylimidazolium) chloride (oxyC12), and 1,4-bis(butane)imidazole-1-yl-3-dodecylimidazolium chloride (C4)--with bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been studied by the use of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), circular dichroism (CD), and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance diffusometry. The results of CD studies show that the conformation of BSA was changed dramatically in the presence of all studied surfactants. The greater decrease (from 56 to 24%) in the α-helical structure of BSA was observed for oxyC2 surfactant. The radii of gyration estimated from SAXS data varied between 3 and 26 nm for the BSA/oxyC2 and BSA/oxyC12 systems. The hydrodynamic radius of the BSA/surfactant system estimated from NMR diffusometry varies between 5 and 11 nm for BSA/oxyC2 and 5 and 8 nm for BSA/oxyC12.

Full Text Available Dinuclear copper(II complexes with formula [Cu2(L2(N32] (1 and [Cu2(L2(NCS2] (2 HL = (1-[(3-methyl-pyridine-2-ylimino-methyl]-naphthalen-2-ol were synthesized by controlling the molar ratio of Cu(OAC2·6H2O, HL, sodium azide (1 and ammonium thiocyanate (2. The end on bridges appear exclusively in azide and thiocyanate to copper complexes. The electron transfer mechanism of copper(II complexes is examined by cyclic voltammetry indicating copper(II complexes are Cu(II/Cu(I couple. The interactions of copper(II complexes towards bovine serum albumin (BSA were examined with the help of absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic tools. We report a superficial solution-based route for the synthesis of micro crystals of copper complexes with BSA. The antibacterial activity of the Schiff base and its copper complexes were investigated by the agar disc diffusion method against some species of pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Streptococcus pneumonia and Bacillus cereus. It has been observed that the antibacterial activity of all complexes is higher than the ligand.

Silver-coated orthopedic implants and silver composite materials have been proposed to produce local biocidal activity at low dose to reduce post-surgery infection that remains one of the major contributions to the patient morbidity. This work presents the synthesis combined with the characterization, colloidal stability in biological relevant media, antimicrobial activity and handling properties of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) before and after freeze dry and storage. The nanomaterial was synthesized in aqueous solution with simple, reproducible and low-cost strategies using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the stabilizing agent. Ag-NP were characterized by means of the size distribution and morphology (UV-vis spectra, dynamic light scattering measurements and TEM images), charge as a function of the pH (zeta potential measurements) and colloidal stability in biological relevant media (UV-vis spectra and dynamic light scattering measurements). Further, the interactions between the protein and Ag-NP were evaluated by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and the antimicrobial activity was tested with two bacteria strains (namely Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis) mainly present in the infections caused by implants and prosthesis in orthopedic surgery. Finally, the Ag-NP dispersed in aqueous solution were dried and stored as long-lasting powders that were easily reconstituted without losing their stability and antimicrobial properties. The proposed methods to stabilize Ag-NP not only produce stable dispersions in media of biological relevance but also long-lasting powders with optimal antimicrobial activity in the nanomolar range. This level is much lower than the cytotoxicity determined in vitro on osteoblasts, osteoclasts and osteoarthritic chondrocytes. The synthesized Ag-NP can be incorporated as additive of biomaterials or pharmaceutical products to confer antimicrobial activity in a powdered form in different formulations, dispersed in

Hybrid nanoparticles were fabricated by the electrostatic deposition of positive bovine serum albumin (BSA) and negative lactoferrin (LF) onto the surface of anionic nanoliposomes (NLs). The resulting particles had a cumulative size of 156.27 ± 11.0 nm and decreased in negative charge. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the hybrid particles formed a smooth and spherical polyelectrolyte complex after globular protein deposition. Observations in size distribution and surface charge after heat treatment, pH alteration and long-term storage found that the particles coated with layers of polyelectrolytes, BSA and LF, had obviously better stability than the bare liposomes. In an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion study, monolayer coated NLs (LF-NLs) and double-layer coated NLs (BSA-LF-NLs) had similar changes in microstructure (TEM) and the release rate of model cargos (calcein), which were superior to the uncoated NLs. These results indicated that hybrid nanoparticles coated with the polyelectrolytes of BSA and LF on the surface of liposomes by electrostatic interaction may improve liposomal stability, and showed some implications for the fabrication of functional molecular delivery systems to control physical-chemical and digestion stability in food and nutrition areas.

Studies based on silver nanoparticles (SNPs) and polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are mainly in the pharmaceutical field, with PEG as good “vehicle” to transport protein-based drugs. In this work, physicochemical characteristics of 3,6-diHydroxyflavone (3,6-diHF) binding bovine serum albumin (BSA) on PEG (Tween20, L64, and Myrj52)-coated SNPs have been investigated by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. These interactions give rise to the formation of intermolecular and intramolecular H bonds. As a subject of interest, the effect of temperature (30–60 °C) on the H bonds was studied by steady-state fluorescence. The size distribution and zeta potential of SNPs were determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed the spherical nature of particles with average diameter ~40–80 nm. The structure, stability, dynamics, and conformational changes in adsorbed BSA protein on the PEG-coated SNPs surface have been also investigated by steady-state/lifetime fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The results have relevance in the oxidative stress and drug delivery processes.

This paper investigates the behavior of bovine serum albumin (BSA) during water dissociation on a bipolar membrane (BPM). BSA-modified BPM is prepared by immersing polyethylene anion exchange membrane in different concentration solutions of BSA, then casting the solution of sulfonated poly(phenylene oxide) (SPPO) in dimethyl formamide. The modification of BSA was evidenced by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The junction thickness was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that the typical I-V curves for bipolar membranes were heavily affected by the BSA modifications: the more the adsorbed amount of BSA, the larger the potential drop across a bipolar membrane. The new phenomena is underlined by the intrinsic properties of BSA molecules: steric effects give rise to an increase in the thickness of the depletion layer, amphoteric properties weaken the electric field of the junction, and hydrophobicity makes the junction less wet. All of these cause negative effects on water dissociation on a bipolar membrane.

The interaction of three different sized (diameter 10, 18, and 28 nm) anionic silica nanoparticles with two model proteins—cationic lysozyme [molecular weight (MW) 14.7 kDa)] and anionic bovine serum albumin (BSA) (MW 66.4 kDa) has been studied by UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The adsorption behavior of proteins on the nanoparticles, measured by UV-vis spectroscopy, is found to be very different for lysozyme and BSA. Lysozyme adsorbs strongly on the nanoparticles and shows exponential behavior as a function of lysozyme concentration irrespective of the nanoparticle size. The total amount of adsorbed lysozyme, as governed by the surface-to-volume ratio, increases on lowering the size of the nanoparticles for a fixed volume fraction of the nanoparticles. On the other hand, BSA does not show any adsorption for all the different sizes of the nanoparticles. Despite having different interactions, both proteins induce similar phase behavior where the nanoparticle-protein system transforms from one phase (clear) to two phase (turbid) as a function of protein concentration. The phase behavior is modified towards the lower concentrations for both proteins with increasing the nanoparticle size. DLS suggests that the phase behavior arises as a result of the nanoparticles' aggregation on the addition of proteins. The size-dependent modifications in the interaction potential, responsible for the phase behavior, have been determined by SANS data as modeled using the two-Yukawa potential accounting for the repulsive and attractive interactions in the systems. The protein-induced interaction between the nanoparticles is found to be short-range attraction for lysozyme and long-range attraction for BSA. The magnitude of attractive interaction irrespective of protein type is enhanced with increase in the size of the nanoparticles. The total (attractive+repulsive) potential leading to two-phase formation is found to be

We studied the enzymatic action of Savinase on bovine serum albumin (BSA) organized in a monolayer spread at the air/water interface or adsorbed at the mica surface. We carried out two types of experiments. In the first one we followed the degradation of the protein monolayer by measuring...... the surface pressure and surface area decrease versus time. In the second approach we applied AFM imaging of the supported BSA monolayers adsorbed on mica solid supports and extracted information for the enzyme action by analyzing the obtained images of the surface topography in the course of enzyme action...

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) coated on citrate capped gold nanoparticles (BSA-GNPs) was exposed to a simulated wastewater effluent (SSE) in order to study the mineralization and thereby mimic scaling at biofouled membranes of reverse osmosis (RO) wastewater desalination plants. RO is a leading technology of achieving freshwater quality as it has the capability of removing both dissolved inorganic salts and organic contaminants from tertiary wastewater effluents. The aim was to better understand one of the major problems facing this technology which is fouling of the membranes, mainly biofouling and scaling by calcium phosphate. The experiments were performed using the small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) technique. The nanoparticles, GNPs, stabilized by the citrate groups showed 30 Å large particles having a homogeneous distribution of gold and citrate with a gold volume fraction of the order of 1%. On the average two BSA monomers are grafted at 2.4 GNPs. The exposed BSA-GNPs to SSE solution led to immediate mineralization of stable composite particles of the order of 0.2 μm diameter and a mineral volume fraction between 50% and 80%. The volume fraction of the mineral was of the order of 10(-5), which is roughly 3 times larger but an order of magnitude smaller than the maximum possible contents of respectively calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate in the SSE solution. Considering the extreme low solubility product of calcium phosphate, we suggest total calcium phosphate and partially (5-10%) calcium carbonate formation in the presence of BSA-GNPs.

Resorcinol based acridinedione (ADDR) dyes are a class of laser dyes and have structural similarity with purine derivatives, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) analogs. These dyes are classified into photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and non-photoinduced electron transfer dyes, and the photophysical properties of family of these dyes exhibiting PET behavior are entirely different from that of non-PET dyes. The PET process in ADDR dyes is governed by the solvent polarity such that an ADDR dye exhibits PET process through space in an aprotic solvent like acetonitrile and does not exhibit the same in protic solvents like water and methanol. A comparison on the fluorescence emission, lifetime and nature of interaction of various ADDR dyes with a large globular protein like Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) was carried out in aqueous solution. The interaction of PET based ADDR dyes with BSA in water is found to be largely hydrophobic, but hydrogen-bonding interaction of BSA with dye molecule influences the fluorescence emission of the dye and shifts the emission towards red region. Fluorescence spectral studies reveal that the excited state properties of PET based ADDR dyes are largely influenced by the addition of BSA. The microenvironment around the dye results in significant change in the fluorescence lifetime and emission. Fluorescence enhancement with a red shift in the emission results after the addition of BSA to ADDR dyes containing free amino hydrogen in the 10th position of basic acridinedione dye. The amino hydrogen (N–H) in the 10th position of ADDR dye is replaced by methyl group (N–CH{sub 3}), a significant decrease in the fluorescence intensity with no apparent shift in the emission maximum was observed after the addition of BSA. The nature of interaction between ADDR dyes with BSA is hydrogen-bonding and the dye remains unbound even at the highest concentration of BSA. Circular Dichroism (CD) studies show that the addition of dye to BSA results in

Resorcinol based acridinedione (ADDR) dyes are a class of laser dyes and have structural similarity with purine derivatives, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) analogs. These dyes are classified into photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and non-photoinduced electron transfer dyes, and the photophysical properties of family of these dyes exhibiting PET behavior are entirely different from that of non-PET dyes. The PET process in ADDR dyes is governed by the solvent polarity such that an ADDR dye exhibits PET process through space in an aprotic solvent like acetonitrile and does not exhibit the same in protic solvents like water and methanol. A comparison on the fluorescence emission, lifetime and nature of interaction of various ADDR dyes with a large globular protein like Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) was carried out in aqueous solution. The interaction of PET based ADDR dyes with BSA in water is found to be largely hydrophobic, but hydrogen-bonding interaction of BSA with dye molecule influences the fluorescence emission of the dye and shifts the emission towards red region. Fluorescence spectral studies reveal that the excited state properties of PET based ADDR dyes are largely influenced by the addition of BSA. The microenvironment around the dye results in significant change in the fluorescence lifetime and emission. Fluorescence enhancement with a red shift in the emission results after the addition of BSA to ADDR dyes containing free amino hydrogen in the 10th position of basic acridinedione dye. The amino hydrogen (N–H) in the 10th position of ADDR dye is replaced by methyl group (N–CH 3 ), a significant decrease in the fluorescence intensity with no apparent shift in the emission maximum was observed after the addition of BSA. The nature of interaction between ADDR dyes with BSA is hydrogen-bonding and the dye remains unbound even at the highest concentration of BSA. Circular Dichroism (CD) studies show that the addition of dye to BSA results in a

The damage of bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules under ultrasonic irradiation in the presence of nano-sized silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles was studied by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra. In addition, the influences of ultrasonic irradiation time, nano-sized SiO2 addition amount, solution acidity (pH) and ultrasonic irradiation power on the damage of BSA molecules in aqueous solution were also detected. For BSA solution of 1.0 x 10(-5) mol x L(-1) at (37.0+/-0.2) degrees C, the UV-Vis spectra of BSA solutions showed that the absorption peaks of BSA displayed obvious hyperchromic effect with the increase in some influence factors such as ultrasonic irradiation time, nano-sized SiO2 addition amount, pH value and ultrasonic irradiation power. However, the fluorescence spectra of BSA solutions showed the phenomenon of fluorescence quenching with the increase in ultrasonic irradiation time, nano-sized SiO2 addition amount, pH value and ultrasonic irradiation power. Moreover, the possible mechanism behind the damage of BSA molecule in the presence of nano-sized SiO2 powders under ultrasonic irradiation was discussed. It was considered that the damage of BSA molecules was attributed to the formation of *OH radicals resulting from the sonoluminescence and high-heat excitation of ultrasonic cavitation. The research results could be of great significance to using sonocatalytic method to treat tumour in clinic application and for developing nano-sized drug in the future.

Full Text Available Chieh-shen Hu,1 Chiao-hsi Chiang,2 Po-da Hong,1,4,* Ming-kung Yeh1–3,*1Biomedical Engineering Program, Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology; 2School of Pharmacy, National Defence Medical Center; 3Bureau of Pharmaceutical Affairs, Ministry of National Defence Medical Affairs Bureau; 4Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workBackground and methods: Chondroitin sulfate-chitosan (ChS-CS nanoparticles and positively and negatively charged fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA-loaded ChS-CS nanoparticles were prepared and characterized. The properties of ChS-CS nanoparticles, including cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, and transepithelial transport, as well as findings on field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy were evaluated in human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2 fibroblasts. ChS-CS nanoparticles with a mean particle size of 250 nm and zeta potentials ranging from –30 to +18 mV were prepared using an ionic gelation method.Results: Standard cell viability assays demonstrated that cells incubated with ChS-CS and FITC-BSA-loaded ChS-CS nanoparticles remained more than 95% viable at particle concentrations up to 0.1 mg/mL. Endocytosis of nanoparticles was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and measured by flow cytometry. Ex vivo transepithelial transport studies using Caco-2 cells indicated that the nanoparticles were effectively transported into Caco-2 cells via endocytosis. The uptake of positively charged FITC-BSA-loaded ChS-CS nanoparticles across the epithelial membrane was more efficient than that of the negatively charged nanoparticles.Conclusion: The ChS-CS nanoparticles fabricated in this study were

Protein-related nanotheranostic agents hold great promise as tools to serve many clinical applications. Proteins such as BSA are used to regulate the synthesis of nondegradable inorganic nanoparticles (NPs). To fully employ the potential of such proteins, a new type of biosafe nanotheranostic agent must be designed to optimize BSA as a biomineralization agent. Here, a straightforward BSA-assisted biomineralization method was developed to prepare gallic acid (GA)–Fe(III) coordination polymer NPs. BSA-coated GA-Fe (GA-Fe@BSA) NPs were ultrasmall (3.5 nm) and showed good biocompatibility, a lower r2:r1 ratio (1.06), and strong absorption in the visible near-infrared region. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of tumor-bearing mice before and after intratumoral injection with GA-Fe@BSA NPs definitively demonstrated positive change. In a subsequent in vivo study, antitumor activity was precipitated by intratumoral injection of GA-Fe@BSA NPs combined with laser treatment, suggesting excellent outcomes with this treatment method. These results describe a successful protocol in which BSA regulated the synthesis of benign organic polymer NPs. GA-Fe@BSA NPs have the potential to be ideal agents to be used in clinical theranostic nanoplatforms. PMID:29042770

Protein-related nanotheranostic agents hold great promise as tools to serve many clinical applications. Proteins such as BSA are used to regulate the synthesis of nondegradable inorganic nanoparticles (NPs). To fully employ the potential of such proteins, a new type of biosafe nanotheranostic agent must be designed to optimize BSA as a biomineralization agent. Here, a straightforward BSA-assisted biomineralization method was developed to prepare gallic acid (GA)-Fe(III) coordination polymer NPs. BSA-coated GA-Fe (GA-Fe@BSA) NPs were ultrasmall (3.5 nm) and showed good biocompatibility, a lower r 2 : r 1 ratio (1.06), and strong absorption in the visible near-infrared region. T 1 -weighted magnetic resonance imaging of tumor-bearing mice before and after intratumoral injection with GA-Fe@BSA NPs definitively demonstrated positive change. In a subsequent in vivo study, antitumor activity was precipitated by intratumoral injection of GA-Fe@BSA NPs combined with laser treatment, suggesting excellent outcomes with this treatment method. These results describe a successful protocol in which BSA regulated the synthesis of benign organic polymer NPs. GA-Fe@BSA NPs have the potential to be ideal agents to be used in clinical theranostic nanoplatforms.

Full Text Available Developing vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic molecules, like siRNA, is an area of active research. Nanoparticles composed of bovine serum albumin, stabilized via the adsorption of poly-L-lysine (PLL, have been shown to be potentially inert drug-delivery vehicles. With the primary goal of reducing nonspecific protein adsorption, the effect of using comb-type structures of poly(ethylene glycol (1 kDa, PEG units conjugated to PLL (4.2 and 24 kDa on BSA-NP properties, apparent siRNA release rate, cell viability, and cell uptake were evaluated. PEGylated PLL coatings resulted in NPs with ζ-potentials close to neutral. Incubation with platelet-poor plasma showed the composition of the adsorbed proteome was similar for all systems. siRNA was effectively encapsulated and released in a sustained manner from all NPs. With 4.2 kDa PLL, cellular uptake was not affected by the presence of PEG, but PEG coating inhibited uptake with 24 kDa PLL NPs. Moreover, 24 kDa PLL systems were cytotoxic and this cytotoxicity was diminished upon PEG incorporation. The overall results identified a BSA-NP coating structure that provided effective siRNA encapsulation while reducing ζ-potential, protein adsorption, and cytotoxicity, necessary attributes for in vivo application of drug-delivery vehicles.

This paper reports the effects of urea on the heat-induced gelation of bovine serum albumin (BSA), which was studied by the tube inversion method, rheological measurements, and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). An increase in the urea concentration accelerated the rate of gelation because the protein molecules have already been unfolded to some extent during sample preparation in the urea solution. In addition, the BSA solution in the presence of urea underwent a sol-gel-sol transition during the time sweep test at a constant temperature of 80oC. On the other hand, the BSA solution without urea turned into a hard and brittle gel that did not return to the solution state during isothermal heating at a constant temperature of 80oC. Aggregation and re-bonding of the denatured and unfolded protein chains led to gel formation. Urea added to the protein denatures its tertiary and secondary structures by simultaneously disrupting the hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and altering the solvent properties. Furthermore, urea induces thermoreversible chemical interactions in BSA solutions leading to the formation of a gel with dynamic properties under these experimental conditions.

The using of macromolecular additives is known to be a simple and effective way to improve the activity of immobilized enzymes on solid support, yet the mechanism has not been well understood. Taking horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as an example, only 30 % of its catalytic activity was kept after being immobilized on the surface of 25-nm Au nanoparticles, mainly attributed to the conformational change of the heme-containing active site. The catalytic activity of HRP was significantly improved to 80 % when a certain amount of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was added at the initial stage of the immobilization. Systematic spectral investigation indicated that the addition of BSA inhibited the tertiary structure change around the active site, which was a prerequisite for improved activity of the immobilized HRP. Steady-state kinetic analyses revealed that the introduction of BSA could effectively improve the turnover rate of substrate to product in spite of slight reduced affinity to substrates, which also contributed to the improved catalytic activity

Full Text Available The aim of the current study was to evaluate the immunostimulatory activity of 10 different herbal extracts from Vitex agnus-castus, Vinca major, Aloe arborescens and the polyherbal product containing extracts from Sambucus nigra, Primula versis, Pinus alba, Gentiana lutea, Cetraria islandica, Eucaliptus globulus, Citrus limon and aluminium hydroxide, as well as platinum nanoparticles. Rabbits were immunized three times orally with bovine serum albumin (BSA in combination with the components mentioned above. BSA-specific IgA antibodies in saliva and IgG antibodies in serum were examined by ELISA. It was found that the rabbits immunized with BSA in combination with either platinum nanoparticles or aluminium hydroxide had higher titres of BSA-specific IgA antibodies in their saliva at day 56 of observation. Likewise, rabbits treated with BSA and Vinca major or Aloe arborescens extracts showed higher levels of BSA-specific IgG antibodies in the serum at the end of observation. These results suggest that some plant extracts, aluminium hydroxide and platinum nanoparticles components could be used as oral adjuvants or as immunomodulators for rabbits.

Full Text Available Weixi Liu,1 Menashi A Cohenford,1–3 Leslie Frost,3 Champika Seneviratne,4 Joel A Dain1 1Department of Chemistry, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA; 2Department of Integrated Science and Technology, 3Department of Chemistry, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA; 4Department of Chemistry, College of the North Atlantic, Labrador, NL, Canada Abstract: Formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs by nonenzymatic glycation of proteins is a major contributory factor to the pathophysiology of diabetic conditions including senile dementia and atherosclerosis. This study describes the inhibitory effect of gold nanoparticles (GNPs on the D-ribose glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA. A combination of analytical methods including ultraviolet–visible spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography, circular dichroism, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry were used to determine the extent of BSA glycation in the presence of citrate reduced spherical GNPs of various sizes and concentrations. GNPs of particle diameters ranging from 2 nm to 20 nm inhibited BSA’s AGE formation. The extent of inhibition correlated with the total surface area of the nanoparticles. GNPs of highest total surface area yielded the most inhibition whereas those with the lowest total surface area inhibited the formation of AGEs the least. Additionally, when GNPs’ total surface areas were set the same, their antiglycation activities were similar. This inhibitory effect of GNPs on BSA’s glycation by D-ribose suggests that colloidal particles may have a therapeutic application for the treatment of diabetes and conditions that promote hyperglycemia. Keywords: gold nanoparticles, glycation, AGEs, GNPs, BSA

In this work, three Tricyclo [3.3.1.1(3,7)] decane-1-amine (Amantadine) Schiff-Bases, Amantadine-Salicylaldehyde (AS), Amantadine-5-Chloro-Salicylaldehyde (AS-5-C) and Amantadine-o-Vanillin (AS-o-V), were synthesized by direct heating reflux method in ethanol solution and characterized by infrared spectrum and elementary analysis. Fluorescence quenching was used to study the interaction of these Amantadine Schiff-Bases (AS, AS-5-C and AS-o-V) with bovine serum albumin (BSA). According to fluorescence quenching calculations the bimolecular quenching constant ( Kq), apparent quenching constant ( KSV), effective binding constant ( KA) and corresponding dissociation constant ( KD), binding site number ( n) and binding distance ( r) were obtained. The results show that these Amantadine Schiff-Bases can obviously bind to BSA molecules and the binding strength order is AS < AS-5-C = AS-o-V. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy reveals that these Amantadine Schiff-Bases adopt different way to bind with BSA molecules. That is, the AS and AS-5-C are accessibility to tryptophan (Trp) residues more than the tyrosine (Tyr) residues, while the AS-o-V is equally close to the Tyr and Trp residues.

Albuminnanoparticles have been explored as a promising delivery system for various therapeutic agents. One limitation of such formulations is their poor colloidal stability in vivo. Present study aimed at enhancing the chemotherapeutic potential of paclitaxel by improving the colloidal stability and pharmacokinetic properties of albumin-paclitaxel nanoparticles (APNs) such as Abraxane®. This was accomplished by encapsulating the preformed APNs into PEGylated liposomal bilayer by thin-film hydration/extrusion technique. The resulting liposome-encapsulated albumin-paclitaxel hybrid nanoparticles (L-APNs) were nanosized (~200 nm) with uniform spherical dimensions. The successful incorporation of albumin-paclitaxel nanoparticle (NP) in liposome was confirmed by size exclusion chromatography analysis. Such hybrid NP showed an excellent colloidal stability even at 100-fold dilutions, overcoming the critical drawback associated with simple albumin-paclitaxel NP system. L-APNs further showed higher cytotoxic activity towards B16F10 and MCF-7 cells than APN; this effect was characterized by arrest at the G2/M phase and a higher prevalence of apoptotic subG1 cells. Finally, pharmacokinetic and biodistribution studies in tumor mice demonstrated that L-APNs showed a significantly enhanced plasma half-life, and preferential accumulation in the tumor. Taken together, the data indicate that L-APNs can be promising therapeutic vehicles for enhanced delivery of PTX to tumor sites.

Investigation of interaction mode of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and anthocyanin (ACN) in different solutions will help us understand the interaction mechanism and functional change of bioactive small molecule and biomacromolecule. This study investigated the binding mode, including binding constant, number of binding sites, binding force of BSA and ACN interaction in three buffer solutions of phosphate (PBS), sodium chloride (NaCl), and PBS-NaCl, using fluorescence spectroscopy and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. Formation and characteristics of BSA–ACN complex were also investigated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that ACN could interact with BSA at both tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) residues through both hydrogen bonds and van der Waals force, and the same binding mode was seen in dH{sub 2}O and three buffer solutions. The value of binding constant K was decreased as the temperature increased from 298 K to 308 K, and the decreasing degree was in the order of dH{sub 2}O (9.0×10{sup 4})>NaCl (2.64×10{sup 4})/PBS (2.37×10{sup 4})>PBS-NaCl (0.88×10{sup 4}), which was inversely correlated with the ionic strength of the buffer solutions of PBS-NaCl>NaCl>PBS. It indicated that stability of BSA–ACN complex was affected most in dH{sub 2}O than in three buffer solutions. The BSA and ACN interaction led to formation of BSA–ACN nanoparticles. The sizes of BSA–ACN nanoparticles in dH{sub 2}O were smaller than that in three buffer solutions, which correlated with stronger binding force between BSA and ACN in dH{sub 2}O than in three buffer solutions at room temperature (25 °C, 298 K). - Highlights: • We report the influences of four solutions on the BSA–ACN interaction. • We report the relationship between BSA–ACN interaction and particle size of complex. • The stability of BSA–ACN complex was affected most in dH{sub 2}O than in buffer solutions.

Investigation of interaction mode of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and anthocyanin (ACN) in different solutions will help us understand the interaction mechanism and functional change of bioactive small molecule and biomacromolecule. This study investigated the binding mode, including binding constant, number of binding sites, binding force of BSA and ACN interaction in three buffer solutions of phosphate (PBS), sodium chloride (NaCl), and PBS-NaCl, using fluorescence spectroscopy and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. Formation and characteristics of BSA–ACN complex were also investigated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that ACN could interact with BSA at both tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) residues through both hydrogen bonds and van der Waals force, and the same binding mode was seen in dH 2 O and three buffer solutions. The value of binding constant K was decreased as the temperature increased from 298 K to 308 K, and the decreasing degree was in the order of dH 2 O (9.0×10 4 )>NaCl (2.64×10 4 )/PBS (2.37×10 4 )>PBS-NaCl (0.88×10 4 ), which was inversely correlated with the ionic strength of the buffer solutions of PBS-NaCl>NaCl>PBS. It indicated that stability of BSA–ACN complex was affected most in dH 2 O than in three buffer solutions. The BSA and ACN interaction led to formation of BSA–ACN nanoparticles. The sizes of BSA–ACN nanoparticles in dH 2 O were smaller than that in three buffer solutions, which correlated with stronger binding force between BSA and ACN in dH 2 O than in three buffer solutions at room temperature (25 °C, 298 K). - Highlights: • We report the influences of four solutions on the BSA–ACN interaction. • We report the relationship between BSA–ACN interaction and particle size of complex. • The stability of BSA–ACN complex was affected most in dH 2 O than in buffer solutions

Cationic bovine serum albumin (CBSA) conjugated poly(ethyleneglycol)-poly(lactide) (PEG-PLA) nanoparticle (CBSA-NP), was designed as a novel drug carrier for brain delivery. In this paper, three formulations of CBSA-NP with different surface CBSA density as well as native bovine serum albumin conjugated nanoparticle (BSA-NP) and CBSA unconjugated pegylated nanoparticle (NP), were formulated. Their brain transcytosis across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) coculture and brain delivery in mice were investigated using 6-coumarin as fluorescent probe. By using free CBSA as specific inhibitor, it was evidenced that CBSA-NP crossed the brain capillary endothelium through absorptive mediated transcytosis. The result of transcytosis across the BBB coculture and brain delivery in mice proved that the increase of surface CBSA density of the nanoparticle enhanced the BBB permeability-surface area but decreased blood AUC. The optimized CBSA number conjugated per averaged nanoparticle was 110, with the maleimide-PEG-PLA/methoxy-PEG-PLA weight ratio 1:10, which can acquire the greatest percentage of injected dose per gram brain (%ID/g brain) by 2.3-fold compared with NP. Besides, "accelerated blood clearance phenomenon" was found through evaluating blood clearance profile of CBSA-NP post-injection of single dose or over a period of successive high doses of CBSA-NP. Understanding these issues is important for the future development of CBSA-NP as a brain delivery carrier and for the attenuation of toxicity or immunological responses to the nanodevice following a consequence of nanomedication.

The differences in phase behavior of anionic silica nanoparticles (88 Å) in the presence of two globular proteins [cationic lysozyme (molecular weight (MW) 14.7 kD) and anionic bovine serum albumin (BSA) (MW 66.4 kD)] have been studied by small-angle neutron scattering. The measurements were carried out on a fixed concentration (1 wt %) of Ludox silica nanoparticles with varying concentrations of proteins (0-5 wt %) at pH = 7. It is found that, despite having different natures (opposite charges), both proteins can render to the same kind of aggregation of silica nanoparticles. However, the concentration regions over which the aggregation is observed are widely different for the two proteins. Lysozyme with very small amounts (e.g., 0.01 wt %) leads to the aggregation of silica nanoparticles. On the other hand, silica nanoparticles coexist with BSA as independent entities at low protein concentrations and turn to aggregates at high protein concentrations (>1 wt %). In the case of lysozyme, the charge neutralization by the protein on the nanoparticles gives rise to the protein-mediated aggregation of the nanoparticles. The nanoparticle aggregates coexist with unaggregated nanoparticles at low protein concentrations, whereas, they coexist with a free protein at higher protein concentrations. For BSA, the nonadsorbing nature of the protein produces the depletion force that causes the aggregation of the nanoparticles at higher protein concentrations. The evolution of the interaction is modeled by the two Yukawa potential, taking account of both attractive and repulsive terms of the interaction in these systems. The nanoparticle aggregation is found to be governed by the short-range attraction for lysozyme and the long-range attraction for BSA. The aggregates are characterized by the diffusion limited aggregate type of mass fractal morphology.

The differences in phase behavior of anionic silica nanoparticles (88 Å) in the presence of two globular proteins [cationic lysozyme (molecular weight (MW) 14.7 kD) and anionic bovine serum albumin (BSA) (MW 66.4 kD)] have been studied by small-angle neutron scattering. The measurements were carried out on a fixed concentration (1 wt %) of Ludox silica nanoparticles with varying concentrations of proteins (0-5 wt %) at pH = 7. It is found that, despite having different natures (opposite charges), both proteins can render to the same kind of aggregation of silica nanoparticles. However, the concentration regions over which the aggregation is observed are widely different for the two proteins. Lysozyme with very small amounts (e.g., 0.01 wt %) leads to the aggregation of silica nanoparticles. On the other hand, silica nanoparticles coexist with BSA as independent entities at low protein concentrations and turn to aggregates at high protein concentrations (>1 wt %). In the case of lysozyme, the charge neutralization by the protein on the nanoparticles gives rise to the protein-mediated aggregation of the nanoparticles. The nanoparticle aggregates coexist with unaggregated nanoparticles at low protein concentrations, whereas, they coexist with a free protein at higher protein concentrations. For BSA, the nonadsorbing nature of the protein produces the depletion force that causes the aggregation of the nanoparticles at higher protein concentrations. The evolution of the interaction is modeled by the two Yukawa potential, taking account of both attractive and repulsive terms of the interaction in these systems. The nanoparticle aggregation is found to be governed by the short-range attraction for lysozyme and the long-range attraction for BSA. The aggregates are characterized by the diffusion limited aggregate type of mass fractal morphology.

We investigated the interactions between dendrimer-coated magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) and the protein serum albumin. The investigation was based on the fluorescence quenching of tryptophan residue of serum albumin after binding with the dendrimer-coated magnetite nanoparticles. The extent of the interactions between bovine serum albumin and dendrimer-coated MNPs strongly depends on their surface groups and pH value

Nanoencapsulation of antioxidant molecules on protein nanoparticles (NPs) could be an advanced approach for providing stable, better food nutraceuticals and anticancer drugs. The bioavailability and stability of catechin (CAT) and epicatechin (ECAT) were very poor. In the present study, the CAT and ECAT were loaded on bovine serum albumin (BSA) NPs following desolvation method. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) recorded size of CAT-BSA NPs and ECAT-BSA NPs were 45 ± 5 nm and 48 ± 5 nm respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of CAT and ECAT on BSA NPs was found to be 60.5 and 54.5 % respectively. CAT-BSA NPs and ECAT-BSA NPs show slow and sustained in vitro release. The CAT-BSA NPs and ECAT-BSA NPs were stable in solution at various temperatures 37 °C, 47 °C and 57 °C. DPPH assay revealed that CAT and ECAT maintained their functional activity even after encapsulation on BSA NPs. Furthermore, the efficacy of CAT-BSA NPs and ECAT-BSA NPs determined against A549 cell lines was found to be improved. CAT and ECAT aptly encapsulated in BSA NPs, showed satisfactory sustained release, maintained antioxidant potential and found improved efficacy. This has thus suggested their more effective use in food and nutraceuticals as well as in medical field.

Full Text Available Purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of Bovine Serum Albumin substitution by albumen on CEP-2 to semen quality Ongole CrossBred bull stored at 3-5oC. Research was conducted at Research Centre Beef Cattle Laboratory, Grati, Pasuruan on February 2016. Semen diluent was divided into two groups, there were P0 (90% CEP-2 + 10% Egg Yolk (EY; and P1 (90% CEP + 0.4% albumen + 10% EY. Data of the research were analyzed using paired design t test. The result showed that after eight days chilled preservation, percentage of motility P1 (47.4±10.9% was higher than P0 (47±9.2%. Percentage of viability P0 (83.1±1.9% was higher than P1 (81.3±1.5%. Percentage of abnormality P1 (3.6±0.4% was lower than P0 (3.8±0.3%. Total motile sperm count after six days chilled preservation was significantly higher in all treatments compared to the standard criteria of SNI 40% motile sperm/ml. The conclusion of this research was 0,4% albumen could replace the BSA capability on CEP-2. Keywords: CEP-2, Bovine Serum Albumin, chilled preservation, semen quality

Nanoencapsulation of antioxidant molecules on protein nanoparticles (NPs) could be an advanced approach for providing stable, better food nutraceuticals and anticancer drugs. The bioavailability and stability of catechin (CAT) and epicatechin (ECAT) were very poor. In the present study, the CAT and ECAT were loaded on bovine serum albumin (BSA) NPs following desolvation method. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) recorded size of CAT-BSA NPs and ECAT-B...

In this work, three o-Vanillin Schiff Bases (o-VSB: o-Vanillin- D-Phenylalanine (o-VDP), o-Vanillin- L-Tyrosine (o-VLT) and o-Vanillin- L-Levodopa (o-VLL)) with alanine constituent were synthesized by direct reflux method in ethanol solution, and then were used to study the interaction to bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules by fluorescence spectroscopy. Based on the fluorescence quenching calculation, the bimolecular quenching constant ( Kq), apparent quenching constant ( Ksv), effective binding constant ( KA) and corresponding dissociation constant ( KD) as well as binding site number ( n) were obtained. In addition, the binding distance ( r) was also calculated according to Foster's non-radioactive energy transfer theory. The results show that these three o-VSB can efficiently bind to BSA molecules, but the binding array order is o-VDP-BSA > o-VLT-BSA > o-VLL-BSA. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy indicates that the o-VDP is more accessibility to tryptophan (Trp) residues of BSA molecules than to tyrosine (Tyr) residues. Nevertheless, the o-VLT and o-VLL are more accessibility to Tyr residues than to Trp residues.

Pirarubicin (THP) is an effective anthracycline for the treatment of solid tumor. However, its potential side effects are prominent and clinical use is restricted. We aimed to develop a novel pirarubicin-oleic acid complex albuminnanoparticle (THP-OA-AN) in order to reduce the toxicity of THP. Oleic acid, human serum albumin (HSA), and egg yolk lecithin E80 was used to prepare THP-OA-AN. Prepared THP-OA-AN was characterized and animal experiments were conducted to assess its tumor suppression effect, distribution, and toxicity. Comparison between THP and THP-OA-AN showed that, with retained antitumor efficiency, the toxicity of THP-OA-AN is significantly reduced regarding bone marrow suppression, cardiotoxicity, renal toxicity, and gastrointestinal toxicity. This study developed a safe and effective formulation of THP, which has greater potential for clinic use in the tumor therapy.

Danhong injection (DHI) is a widely used Chinese Materia Medica standardized product for the clinical treatment of ischemic encephalopathy and coronary heart disease. The bindings of eight natural components in DHI between bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by fluorescence spectroscopy technology and molecular docking. According to the results, the quenching process of salvianolic acid B and hydroxysafflor yellow A was a static quenching procedure through the analysis of quenching data by the Stern-Volmer equation, the modified Stern-Volmer equation, and the modified Scatchard equation. Meanwhile, syringin (Syr) enhanced the fluorescence of BSA, and the data were analyzed using the Lineweaver-Burk equation. Molecular docking suggested that all of these natural components bind to serum albumin at the site I location. Further competitive experiments of SaB confirmed the result of molecular docking studies duo to the displacement of warfarin by SaB. Base on these studies, we selected SaB as a research target because it presented the strongest binding ability to BSA and investigated the influence of the multi-components coexisting in DHI on the interaction between the components of the SaB-BSA binding system. The participation of these natural components in DHI affected the interaction between the components of the SaB-BSA system. Therefore, when DHI is used in mammals, SaB is released from serum albumin more quickly than it is used alone. This work would provide a new experiment basis for revealing the scientific principle of compatibility for Traditional Chinese Medicine. PMID:26035712

Full Text Available Kuo-Chen Wei,1 Feng-Wei Lin,2 Chiung-Yin Huang,1 Chen-Chi M Ma,3 Ju-Yu Chen,1 Li-Ying Feng,1 Hung-Wei Yang2 1Department of Neurosurgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 2Institute of Medical Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 3Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract: To date, knowing how to identify the location of chemotherapeutic agents in the human body after injection is still a challenge. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a drug delivery system with molecular imaging tracking ability to accurately understand the distribution, location, and concentration of a drug in living organisms. In this study, we developed bovine serum albumin (BSA-based nanoparticles (NPs with dual magnetic resonance (MR and fluorescence imaging modalities (fluorescein isothiocyanate [FITC]-BSA-Gd/1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl-1-nitrosourea [BCNU] NPs to deliver BCNU for inhibition of brain tumor cells (MBR 261-2. These BSA-based NPs are water dispersible, stable, and biocompatible as confirmed by XTT cell viability assay. In vitro phantoms and in vivo MR and fluorescence imaging experiments show that the developed FITC-BSA-Gd/BCNU NPs enable dual MR and fluorescence imaging for monitoring cellular uptake and distribution in tumors. The T1 relaxivity (R1 of FITC-BSA-Gd/BCNU NPs was 3.25 mM-1 s-1, which was similar to that of the commercial T1 contrast agent (R1 =3.36 mM-1 s-1. The results indicate that this multifunctional drug delivery system has potential bioimaging tracking of chemotherapeutic agents ability in vitro and in vivo for cancer therapy. Keywords: drug tracking, fluorescence imaging, MR imaging, BSAnanoparticles, cancer therapy

The assembly of nanoparticles in topologically predefined superstructures is an important area in nanoscale architecture. In this paper, we report an unusual aggregation phenomenon involving L-lysine capped gold nanoparticles and human serum albumin into hollow nanospheres. The electrostatic interaction between positively charged L-lysine capped gold nanoparticles and negatively charged human serum albumin at physiological pH led to the assembly of the gold nanoparticles into hollow spheres. The phenomenon can be explained by the dry hole opening mechanism

A thermoresponsive polymer-protein biodynamer was prepared via the bioconjugation of an aliphatic aldehyde-functionalized copolymer to hydrazine-modified bovine serum albumin (BSA) through reversible pyridylhydrazone linkages. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) results indicated that the pyridylhydrazone linkages cleaved in an intracellular-mimicking acidic milieu, thus leading to the release of BSA. The dynamic character of the protein biodynamer was demonstrated by exchange reactions with aldehyde-containing molecules. The biodynamer self-assembled into spherical micelles at a temperature above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Subsequently, BSA molecules within the hydrophilic coronae of the micelles were readily cross-linked via reaction with cystamine at 45°C, and multi-stimuli-responsive nanoparticles were generated. The biohybrid nanoparticles reversibly swelled and shrank as the cores of the nanoparticles were solvated below the LCST and desolvated above the LCST. The accessible reversibility of the pyridylhydrazone bonds imparts pH-responsive and dynamic characteristics to the nanoparticles. The nanoparticles displayed glutathione (GSH) responsiveness, and the synergistic effects of pH and GSH resulted in complete disintegration of the nanoparticles under the intracellular-mimicking acidic and reductive conditions. The nanoparticles were also enzyme-responsive and disintegrated rapidly in the presence of protease. In vitro cytotoxicity and cell uptake assays demonstrated that the nanoparticles were highly biocompatible and effectively internalized by HepG2 cells, which make them interesting candidates as vehicles for drug delivery application and biomimetic platforms to investigate the biological process in nature. In this research, we report the synthesis of a temperature and pH dual-responsive polymer-protein biodynamer through reversible pyridylhydrazone formation

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein incorporated with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by in situ precipitation process. 2 mol% Zn2+ and Mg2+ were used as dopants to synthesize Zn2+/Mg2+ doped HA-BSA NPs by in situ synthesis route. In our study we used BSA as a model protein. The amount of BSA uptake by doped and undoped HA NPs and subsequent release of BSA from NPs were investigated. Zn doped HA NPs showed the highest amount of BSA uptake, whereas the amount of BSA loa...

Full Text Available Zhipeng Chen,* Juan Chen,* Li Wu, Weidong Li, Jun Chen, Haibo Cheng, Jinhuo Pan, Baochang CaiDepartment of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People's Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workObjective: To evaluate the potential of hyaluronic acid (HA-coated bovine serum albuminnanoparticles (BSANPs as a novel chondrocyte-targeting drug-delivery nanomedicine.Methods: The HA-BSANPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. Fluorescence imaging was used to visualize the distribution of nanoparticles after intra-articular injection. The chondrocyte-targeting efficiency and cellular uptake mechanism of HA-BSANPs were investigated using endocytic inhibitors.Results: HA-BSANPs were successfully prepared with HA coating the surface and amorphous drug in the core. Compared with BSANPs, HA-BSANPs exhibited improved uptake by chondrocytes through a receptor-mediated active uptake mechanism. The endocytosis process of BSANPs and HA-BSANPs involved clathrin-mediated endocytosis, caveolae-mediated endocytosis, and macropinocytosis. No apparent thickening or hyperplasia of the synovium was observed in either BSANPs or HA-BSANPs. The HA-BSANPs could reside in the articular cavity of rats for more than 14 days, which was significantly longer than BSANPs.Conclusion: HA-BSANPs are a promising carrier for articular-related diseases due to elongated articular residence and improved chondrocytic accumulation.Keywords: chondrocyte, intra-articular injection, hyaluronic acid, BSA, nanoparticles

A simple, fast, and highly sensitive direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on bovine serum albumin (BSA) antigen labeled amine-terminated silicon dioxide (SiO 2 -NH-BSA) nanoparticles was developed to determine residual BSA in vaccines. As nano-ELISA using nanomaterials with a very high surface-to-volume ratio has emerged as a promising strategy, SiO 2 -NH-BSAnanoparticles were prepared in this study by the coupling of BSA to SiO 2 nanoparticles modified with amidogen, followed by the quantification of BSA via a direct competitive binding of BSA-antigen-labeled SiO 2 nanoparticles to anti-BSA antibody conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. The validation study showed that the linear range of this method was from 1 to 90 ng/mL (r = 0.998) and the limit of detection was 0.67 ng/mL. The intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation were less than 10% at three concentrations (10, 40, and 70 ng/mL), and the recovery was 92.4%, indicating good specificity. As a proof of principle, this new method was applied in the analysis of residual BSA in five different vaccines. Bland-Altman plots revealed that there was no significant difference in the accuracy and precision between our new method and the most commonly used sandwich ELISA. From the results taken together, the new method developed in this study is more sensitive and facile with lower cost and thus demonstrated potential to be applied in the quality control of biological products. Graphical Abstract Illustration of the procedures of the direct competitive enzyme immunoassay.

Polymeric and biodegradable nanoparticles are frequently used in drug delivery systems. In this study silk fibroin–albumin blended nanoparticles were prepared using the desolvation method without any surfactant. These nanoparticles are easily internalized by the cells, reside within perinuclear spaces and act as carriers for delivery of the model drug methotrexate. Methotrexate loaded nanoparticles have better encapsulation efficiency, drug loading ability and less toxicity. The in vitro release behavior of methotrexate from the nanoparticles suggests that about 85% of the drug gets released after 12 days. The encapsulation and loading of a drug would depend on factors such as size, charge and hydrophobicity, which affect drug release. MTT assay and conjugation of particles with FITC demonstrate that the silk fibroin–albuminnanoparticles do not affect the viability and biocompatibility of cells. This blended nanoparticle, therefore, could be a promising nanocarrier for the delivery of drugs and other bioactive molecules. (paper)

Near IR (NIR) fluorescent human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles hold great promise as contrast agents for tumor diagnosis. HSA nanoparticles are considered to be biocompatible, non-toxic and non-immunogenic. In addition, NIR fluorescence properties of these nanoparticles are important for in vivo tumor diagnostics, with low autofluorescence and relatively deep penetration of NIR irradiation due to low absorption of biomatrices. The present study describes the synthesis of new NIR fluorescent HSA nanoparticles, by entrapment of a NIR fluorescent dye within the HSA nanoparticles, which also significantly increases the photostability of the dye. Tumor-targeting ligands such as peanut agglutinin (PNA) and anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibodies (anti-CEA) were covalently conjugated to the NIR fluorescent albuminnanoparticles, increasing the potential fluorescent signal in tumors with upregulated corresponding receptors. Specific colon tumor detection by the NIR fluorescent HSA nanoparticles was demonstrated in a chicken embryo model and a rat model. In future work we also plan to encapsulate cancer drugs such as doxorubicin within the NIR fluorescent HSA nanoparticles for both colon cancer imaging and therapy. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Near IR human serum albuminnanoparticles were synthesized and characterized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanoparticles were shown to be physically and chemically stable and photostable. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tumor-targeting ligands were covalently conjugated to the nanoparticles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Specific colon cancer tumor detection was demonstrated in chicken-embryo and rat models.

It is an inevitable event that nanoparticles (NPs) will encounter proteins/peptides in nano-medicine, so it has been significant to know their interaction mechanism before in vivo applications. Previously, a 105-amino-acid sequence had been reported as the binding site between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and amphiphilic polymer coated gold nanoparticles (AP-AuNPs) along with a mortise-tenon joint hypothesis. This article tested the affinity difference between two epitope peptide sequences such as: LGEYGFQNALIVR (S1), DAFLGSFLYEYSR (S2) and one non-epitope peptide sequence as: FDEHVKLVNELTEF (S3). With the photoluminescent amino acid residues, the fluorescence quenching method based on the nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET) principle was able to study the thermodynamics of the current binding system. The binding constants (Ka) were determined and followed the order as: Ka-S1 > Ka-S2 >> Ka-S3. Moreover, Hill constants indicated that cooperativity only presented in the interactions of AP-AuNP with either S1 or S2, but not for S3. Moreover, gel electrophoresis, surface plasmon resonance, atomic force microscopy and three dimensional fluorescence microscopy were all also used to comprehensively analyse the binding interaction mechanism. These results further provided useful information to better understand the mortise-tenon joint, which might find applications to nanofabrication and biomedicine.

Graphical abstract: With the non-uniform coating of amphiphilic polymer, the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can form protein coronas which can become discrete protein–nanoparticle conjugates when controlling the protein–nanoparticle molar ratios. The protein's conformational changes upon binding NPs was also studied by both circular dichroism and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy. - Highlights: • The amphiphilic polymer coating can not only transfer hydrophobic NPs into water soluble, but also providing a thick shell responsible for the strong physisorption to proteins without significantly changing their spatial conformations. • NP with discrete proteins can be simply obtained by a simple mixing procedure followed by a gel electrophoresis separation, and the resulting conjugates are robust enough to resist common separation techniques like gel electrophoresis. • In combination with the universal amphiphilic polymer coating strategy and the physisorption mediated protein–NP conjugation, proteins like BSA can be effectively conjugated to different materials such as noble metal, semiconductor and magnetic NPs. • In contrast to chemical coupling methods, the physisorption mediated protein–NP conjugation holds facile, robust and reversible advantages, which may find wide applications in nano-biomedicine field. - Abstract: The nanostructures formed by inorganic nanoparticles together with organic molecules especially biomolecules have attracted increasing attention from both industries and researching fields due to their unique hybrid properties. In this paper, we systemically studied the interactions between amphiphilic polymer coated silver nanoparticles and bovine serum albumins by employing the fluorescence quenching approach in combination with the Stern-Volmer and Hill equations. The binding affinity was determined to 1.30 × 10{sup 7} M{sup −1} and the interaction was spontaneously driven by mainly the van der Waals force and

Albumin-based nanoparticles (NPs) as a drug delivery system have attracted much attention owing to their nontoxicity, non-immunogenicity, great stability and ability to bind to many therapeutic drugs. Herein, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was utilized as a template to prepare Au-BSA core/shell NPs. The outer layer BSA was subsequently conjugated with cis -aconityl doxorubicin (DOX) and folic acid (FA) to create Au-BSA-DOX-FA nanocomposites. A list of characterizations was undertaken to identify the successful conjugation of drug molecules and targeted agents. In vitro cytotoxicity using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay indicated that Au-BSA NPs did not display obvious cytotoxicity to MGC-803 and GES-1 cells in the concentration range of 0-100 μg/mL, which can therefore be used as a safe drug delivery carrier. Furthermore, compared with free DOX, Au-BSA-DOX-FA nanocomposites exhibited a pH-sensitive drug release ability and superior antitumor activity in a drug concentration-dependent manner. In vivo computed tomography (CT) imaging experiments showed that Au-BSA-DOX-FA nanocomposites could be used as an efficient and durable CT contrast agent for targeted CT imaging of the folate receptor (FR) overexpressed in cancer tissues. In vivo antitumor experiments demonstrated that Au-BSA-DOX-FA nanocomposites have selective antitumor activity effects on FR-overexpressing tumors and no adverse effects on normal tissues and organs. In conclusion, the Au-BSA-DOX-FA nanocomposite exhibits selective targeting activity, X-ray attenuation activity and pH-sensitive drug release activity. Therefore, it can enhance CT imaging and improve the targeting therapeutic efficacy of FR-overexpressing gastric cancers. Our findings suggest that Au-BSA-DOX-FA nanocomposite is a novel drug delivery carrier and a promising candidate for cancer theranostic applications.

We report new findings on the red fluorescent (λ em = 640 nm) bovine serum albumin (BSA)-gold (Au) compound initially described by Xie et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 888-889) as Au 25 nanoclusters. The BSA-Au compounds were further reducible to yield nanoparticles, suggesting that these compounds were BSA-cationic Au complexes. We examined the correlations between BSA conformations (pH-induced as well as denatured) and the resulting fluorescence of BSA-Au complexes, to understand the possible cationic Au binding sites. The red fluorescence of the BSA-Au complex was associated with a particular isoform of BSA, the aged form (pH > 10) of the five pH-dependent BSA conformations, while the other conformations, expanded (pH < 2.7), fast (2.7 < pH < 4.3), normal (4.3 < pH < 8), and basic (8 < pH < 10) did not result in red fluorescence. There could be internal energy transfer mechanisms to produce red fluorescence, deduced from excitation-emission map measurements. The ensemble minimum number of Au(III) per BSA to yield red fluorescence was <7. We illustrate the presence of multiple specific Au binding sites in BSA, and present an interpretation of the fluorescence of the BSA-Au complex, alternative to a single-site nucleation of a neutral Au 25 nanocluster.

The development of nonviral gene delivery systems is a great challenge to enable safe gene therapy. In this study, ligand-modified nanoparticles based on human serum albumin (HSA) were developed and optimized for an efficient gene therapy. Different glutaraldehyde cross-linking degrees were investigated to optimize the HSA nanoparticles for gene delivery. The peptide sequence arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) and the HIV-1 transactivator of transduction sequence (Tat) are well-known as promising targeting ligands. Plasmid DNA loaded HSA nanoparticles were covalently modified on their surface with these different ligands. The transfection potential of the obtained plasmid DNA loaded RGD- and Tat-modified nanoparticles was investigated in vitro, and optimal incubation conditions for these preparations were studied. It turned out that Tat-modified HSA nanoparticles with the lowest cross-linking degree of 20% showed the highest transfection potential. Taken together, ligand-functionalized HSA nanoparticles represent promising tools for efficient and safe gene therapy.

We report the preparation and physical and biological characterization of human serum albumin-based micelles of approximately 30 nm diameter for the delivery of amphipathic drugs, represented by doxorubicin. The micelles were surface conjugated with cyclic RGD peptides to guide selective delivery to cells expressing the α(v)β(3) integrin. Multiple poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) with molecular weight of 3400 Da were used to form a hydrophilic outer layer, with the inner core formed by albumin conjugated with doxorubicin via disulfide bonds. Additional doxorubicin was physically adsorbed into this core to attain a high drug loading capacity, where each albumin was associated with about 50 doxorubicin molecules. The formed micelles were stable in serum but continuously released doxorubicin when incubated with free thiols at concentrations mimicking the intracellular environment. When incubated with human melanoma cells (M21+) that express the α(v)β(3) integrin, higher uptake and longer retention of doxorubicin was observed with the RGD-targeted micelles than in the case of untargeted control micelles or free doxorubicin. Consequently, the RGD-targeted micelles manifested cytotoxicity at lower doses of drug than control micelles or free drug.

The challenging part of this work was to research the potential aspects of sodium alginate (SA)-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-bovin serum albumin (BSA) coated Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 -SA-PVA-BSA) as a drug delivery system for doxorubicin (DOX). The anticancer drug doxorubicin was selected as a model drug which is powerful for numerous cancer treatments. Superparamagnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation method. The mixture solution of Fe 3 O 4 -sodium alginate (SA) - doxorubicin (DOX) was crosslinked with Ca 2+ to form (Fe 3 O 4 -SA-DOX) nanoparticles and addition of PVA and BSA with (Fe 3 O 4 -SA-DOX) nanoparticles was prepared by coating procedure. Doxorubicin drug loaded NPs were prepared by a simple crosslinking method by calcium chloride solution. The prepared polymer coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 -SA-PVA-BSA) were characterized by using SEM, AFM, FT-IR, XRD and VSM. The mean sizes of the obtained drug loaded nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 -SA-DOX, Fe 3 O 4 -SA-DOX-PVA and Fe 3 O 4 -SA-DOX-PVA-BSA) were between 240±8.3 and 460±8.7nm and zeta potential of the particles also was evaluated using Malvern Zetasizer which ranged between -48.1±2.3 and -22.4±4.1mV. The encapsulation efficiency, was between 36.2±0.01 and 96.45±2.12. Moreover drug loading and drug release properties of the polymer coated magnetic nanoparticles loaded with doxorubicin (Fe 3 O 4 -SA-DOX-PVA-BSA) were also studied. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the created nanoparticles was performed by using MTT assay analysis which showed that DOX loaded nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 -SA-DOX-PVA-BSA) were toxic to HepG2 cell lines and non-toxic to L02 cell lines. The in-vitro drug release was studied by using UV-Visible spectrophotometer at acidic environment (pH5.0) and basic environment (pH7.4) as well as at different temperatures (37°C and 42°C). It was found that DOX drug is released much faster in acidic environment (pH5.0) than in the basic environment (pH7

Non-viral nanovectors have attracted much attention owing to their ability to condense genetic materials and their ease of modification. However, their poor stability, low biocompatibility and gene degradation in endosomes or lysosomes has significantly hampered their application in vivo and in the clinic. In an attempt to overcome these difficulties a series of bovine serum albumin (BSA)-calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoparticles were constructed. The CaP condenses with DNA to form nanocomplexes coated with a biomimetic corona of BSA. Such complexes may retain the inherent endocytosis profile of BSA, with improved biocompatibility. In particular the transgene performance may be enhanced by stimulating the cellular uptake pathway via caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Two methods were employed to construct and optimize the formulation of BSA-CaP nanomaterials. The optimized BSA-CaP-50-M2 nanoparticles prepared by our second method exhibited good stability, negligible cytotoxicity and enhanced transgene performance with long-term expression for 72 h in vivo even with a single dose. Determination of the cellular uptake pathway and Western blot revealed that cellular uptake of the designed BSA-CaP-50-M2 nanoparticles was mainly via caveolae-mediated endocytosis in a non-degradative pathway in which the biomimetic uptake profile of BSA was retained.

Non-viral nanovectors have attracted much attention owing to their ability to condense genetic materials and their ease of modification. However, their poor stability, low biocompatibility and gene degradation in endosomes or lysosomes has significantly hampered their application in vivo and in the clinic. In an attempt to overcome these difficulties a series of bovine serum albumin (BSA)-calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoparticles were constructed. The CaP condenses with DNA to form nanocomplexes coated with a biomimetic corona of BSA. Such complexes may retain the inherent endocytosis profile of BSA, with improved biocompatibility. In particular the transgene performance may be enhanced by stimulating the cellular uptake pathway via caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Two methods were employed to construct and optimize the formulation of BSA-CaP nanomaterials. The optimized BSA-CaP-50-M2 nanoparticles prepared by our second method exhibited good stability, negligible cytotoxicity and enhanced transgene performance with long-term expression for 72 h in vivo even with a single dose. Determination of the cellular uptake pathway and Western blot revealed that cellular uptake of the designed BSA-CaP-50-M2 nanoparticles was mainly via caveolae-mediated endocytosis in a non-degradative pathway in which the biomimetic uptake profile of BSA was retained.

In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of a new rhodium(II) succinate complex (Rh2(suc)4) and its immobilization on lauric acid bilayer-coated maghemite nanoparticles (MGH-2L/Rh2(suc)4) and subsequent adsorption with bovine serum albumin (MGH-2L/Rh2(suc)4/BSA). Rh2(suc)4 has been characterized by elemental analysis, potentiometric titration, TGA, MS, FTIR and UV-Vis analysis. The maghemite phase was confirmed by XRD, and a diameter of 10 nm was obtained by Sherrer equation. The VSM experiment showed superparamagnetic properties. TEM showed nanoparticles with a spherical shape and a mean diameter of 8.5±0.4 and 9.1 ± 0.4 nm for MGH-2L/Rh2(suc)4 and MGH-2L/Rh2(suc)4/BSA, respectively. FTIR and TGA confirmed the immobilization of Rh2(suc)4 and bovine serum albumin adsorption on superparamagnetic iron oxide. Hydrodynamic size (DH) and zeta potential (ζ) measurements were made in aqueous, NaCl and DMEM media. DH for dispersions was lower in aqueous medium, but increased in saline and DMEM media. In aqueous and saline media, ζ was not altered for MGH-2L and MGH-2L/Rh2(suc)4, but was significantly lower for MGH-2L/Rh2(suc)4/BSA. Therefore, MGH-2L/Rh2(suc)4/BSA was the most stable dispersion, meaning that BSA coating prevents aggregation more than lauric acid bilayer coating. MGH-2L/Rh2(suc)4 and MGH-2L/Rh2(suc)4/BSA dispersions induced cytotoxicity in breast carcinoma (MCF-7) and fibroblast cells in culture, and this effect was higher than that exerted by free Rh2(suc)4 and more specific to breast carcinoma cells than to fibroblasts. Therefore, we suggest that these dispersions have an important potential for future clinical applications and, thus, they should be considered a platform to enhance Rh2(suc)4 cytotoxicity, specifically in breast carcinoma.

Nonspecific association of serum molecules with short-interfering RNA (siRNA) nanoparticles can change their physiochemical characteristics, and results in reduced cellular uptake in the target tissue during the systemic siRNA delivery process. Serum albumin is the most abundant protein in the body and has been used to modify the surface of nanoparticles, to inhibit association of other serum molecules. Here, we hypothesized that surface modification of lipid-based nanoparticular siRNA delivery systems with albumin could prevent their interaction with serum proteins, and improve intracellular uptake. In this study, we investigated the influence of albumin on the stability and intracellular siRNA delivery of the targeted siRNA nanoparticles of a polymerizable and pH-sensitive multifunctional surfactant N-(1-aminoethyl) iminobis[N-(oleoylcysteinylhistinyl-1-aminoethyl)propionamide] (EHCO) in serum. Serum resulted in a significant increase in the size of targeted EHCO/siRNA nanoparticles and inhibited cellular uptake of the nanoparticles. Coating of targeted EHCO/siRNA nanoparticles with bovine serum albumin at 9.4 μM prior to cell transfection improved cellular uptake and gene silencing efficacy of EHCO/siRNA targeted nanoparticles in serum-containing media, as compared with the uncoated nanoparticles. At a proper concentration, albumin has the potential to minimize interactions of serum proteins with siRNA nanoparticles for effective systemic in vivo siRNA delivery. PMID:23055731

Full Text Available Most anticancer drugs are greatly limited by the serious side effects that they cause. Doxorubicin (DOX is an antineoplastic agent, commonly used against breast cancer. However, it may lead to irreversible cardiotoxicity, which could even result in congestive heart failure. In order to avoid these harmful side effects to the patients and to improve the therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin, we developed DOX-loaded polyethylenimine- (PEI- enhanced human serum albumin (HSA nanoparticles. The formed nanoparticles were ~137 nm in size with a surface zeta potential of ~+15 mV, prepared using 20 μg of PEI added per mg of HSA. Cytotoxicity was not observed with empty PEI-enhanced HSA nanoparticles, formed with low-molecular weight (25 kDa PEI, indicating biocompatibility and safety of the nanoparticle formulation. Under optimized transfection conditions, approximately 80% of cells were transfected with HSA nanoparticles containing tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated bovine serum albumin. Conclusively, PEI-enhanced HSA nanoparticles show potential for developing into an effective carrier for anticancer drugs.

In contrast, the other lyoprotectants (inulin and histidine) did not show stabilizing effects. Moreover, trehalose also reduced the degree of particle aggregation from 329 ± 16 to 836 ± 21 nm upon storage for 24 h as compared to CS/DS nanoparticles without trehalose; from 438 ± 14 to 1298 ± 18 (p < 0.05). The rate of BSA ...

The particle size of lyophilized nanoparticles increased moderately from 188 ± 11 nm to 234 ± 12 nm and 287 ± 18 nm at 0.1 and 1.0. % w/v, respectively. In contrast, the other lyoprotectants (inulin and histidine) did not show stabilizing effects. Moreover, trehalose also reduced the degree of particle aggregation from 329 ...

In this study, acetone was used as a desolvating agent to prepare the curcumin-loaded egg albuminnanoparticles. Response surface methodology was employed to analyze the influence of process parameters namely concentration (5-15%w/v) and pH (5-7) of egg albumin solution on solubility, curcumin loading and entrapment efficiency, nanoparticles yield and particle size. Optimum processing conditions obtained from response surface analysis were found to be the egg albumin solution concentration of 8.85%w/v and pH of 5. At this optimum condition, the solubility of 33.57%, curcumin loading of 4.125%, curcumin entrapment efficiency of 55.23%, yield of 72.85% and particles size of 232.6 nm were obtained and these values were related to the values which are predicted using polynomial model equations. Thus, the model equations generated for each response was validated and it can be used to predict the response values at any concentration and pH.

Modification with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a widely used method for the prolongation of plasma half-life of colloidal carrier systems such as nanoparticles prepared from human serum albumin (HSA). However, the quantification of the PEGylation extent is still challenging. Moreover, the influence of different PEG derivatives, which are commonly used for nanoparticle conjugation, has not been investigated so far. The objective of the present study is to develop a method for the quantification of PEG and to monitor the influence of diverse PEG reagents on the amount of PEG linked to the surface of HSA nanoparticles. A size exclusion chromatography method with refractive index detection was established which enabled the quantification of unreacted PEG in the supernatant. The achieved results were confirmed using a fluorescent PEG derivative, which was detected by photometry and fluorimetry. Additionally, PEGylated HSA nanoparticles were enzymatically digested and the linked amount of fluorescently active PEG was directly determined. All the analytical methods confirmed that under optimized PEGylation conditions a PEGylation efficiency of up to 0.5 mg PEG per mg nanoparticle could be achieved. Model calculations made a ‘brush’ conformation of the PEG chains on the particle surface very likely. By incubating the nanoparticles with fetal bovine serum the reduced adsorption of serum proteins on PEGylated HSA nanoparticles compared to non-PEGylated HSA nanoparticles was demonstrated using sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Finally, the positive effect of PEGylation on plasma half-life was demonstrated in an in vivo study in mice. Compared to unmodified nanoparticles the PEGylation led to a four times larger plasma half-life.

TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) are contained in different kinds of industrial products including paints, self-cleaning glasses, sunscreens. TiO2 is also employed in photocatalysis and it has been proposed for waste water treatment. Micrometric TiO2 is generally considered a safe material, while there is concern on the possible health effects of nanometric titania. Due to their small size NPs may migrate within the human body possibly entering in the blood stream. Therefore studies on the interaction of NPs with plasma proteins are needed. In fact, the interaction with proteins is believed to ultimately influences the NPs biological fate. Fibrinogen and albumin are two of the most abundant plasma proteins. They are involved in several important physiological functions. Furthermore, fibrinogen is known to trigger platelet adhesion and inflammation. For these reasons the study of the interaction between these protein and nanoparticles is an important step toward the understanding of the behavior of NPs in the body. In this study we investigated the interaction of albumin and fibrinogen with TiO2 nanoparticles of different crystal phases (rutile and anatase) using an integrated set of techniques. The amount of adsorbed fibrinogen and albumin for each TiO2 surface was investigated by using the bicinchoninic acid assay (BCA). The variation of the surface charge of the NP-protein conjugates respect to the naked NPs was used to indirectly estimate both surface coverage and reversibility of the adsorption upon dilution. Surface charge was monitored by measuring the ζ potential with a conventional electrophoretic light scattering (ELS) system. The extent of protein deformation was evaluated by Raman Spectroscopy. We found that both proteins adsorb irreversibly against electrostatic repulsion, likely undergoing conformational changes or selective orientation upon adsorption. The size of primary particles and the particles aggregation rather than the crystal phase modulate the

TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) are contained in different kinds of industrial products including paints, self-cleaning glasses, sunscreens. TiO 2 is also employed in photocatalysis and it has been proposed for waste water treatment. Micrometric TiO 2 is generally considered a safe material, while there is concern on the possible health effects of nanometric titania. Due to their small size NPs may migrate within the human body possibly entering in the blood stream. Therefore studies on the interaction of NPs with plasma proteins are needed. In fact, the interaction with proteins is believed to ultimately influences the NPs biological fate. Fibrinogen and albumin are two of the most abundant plasma proteins. They are involved in several important physiological functions. Furthermore, fibrinogen is known to trigger platelet adhesion and inflammation. For these reasons the study of the interaction between these protein and nanoparticles is an important step toward the understanding of the behavior of NPs in the body. In this study we investigated the interaction of albumin and fibrinogen with TiO 2 nanoparticles of different crystal phases (rutile and anatase) using an integrated set of techniques. The amount of adsorbed fibrinogen and albumin for each TiO 2 surface was investigated by using the bicinchoninic acid assay (BCA). The variation of the surface charge of the NP-protein conjugates respect to the naked NPs was used to indirectly estimate both surface coverage and reversibility of the adsorption upon dilution. Surface charge was monitored by measuring the ζ potential with a conventional electrophoretic light scattering (ELS) system. The extent of protein deformation was evaluated by Raman Spectroscopy. We found that both proteins adsorb irreversibly against electrostatic repulsion, likely undergoing conformational changes or selective orientation upon adsorption. The size of primary particles and the particles aggregation rather than the crystal phase modulate the

In this work, mineralized collagen coatings with different loading quantity of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were prepared via in situ electrochemical deposition on titanium substrate. The microstructure and BSA loading quantity of the coatings could be controlled by the electrochemical deposition parameters, such as deposition potential, BSA concentration and its adding sequence in the electrolyte. The BSA loading quantity in the coatings was obtained in the range of 0.0170–0.173 mg/cm{sup 2}, enhancing the cell adhesion and proliferation of the coatings with the simultaneous release. The distinct release behaviors of BSA were attributed to their gradient distribution with different mineralization degrees, which could be adjusted by the deposition process. These results suggest that in situ electrochemical deposition is a promising way to incorporate functional molecules into the mineralized collagen coatings and the mineralized BSA/collagen coatings are highly promising for improving the rhBMP-2 loading capability (1.8-fold). - Highlights: • BSA is incorporated into mineralized collagen coating by electrochemical deposition. • The loading amount of BSA in coatings can be adjusted in the range of 0-173 ng. • The BSA/collagen coating shows good cytocompatibility with free-albumin culture. • The incorporation process is put forward for some other molecules deposition.

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is widely used to block nonspecific binding in immunochemical assays. Whereas a previous study had indicated that soluble allergen present during the incubation with anti-IgE in the RAST did not affect bound IgE, we reinvestigated this in the current study, using IgE

The promising potential of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in various nanomedical applications has been frequently reported. However, although many different synthesis methods, coatings, and functionalization techniques have been described, not many core-shell SPION drug delivery systems are available for clinicians at the moment. Here, bovine serum albumin was adsorbed onto lauric acid-stabilized SPIONs. The agglomeration behavior, zeta potential, and their dependence on the synthesis conditions were characterized with dynamic light scattering. The existence and composition of the core-shell-matrix structure was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and zeta potential measurements. We showed that the iron oxide cores form agglomerates in the range of 80 nm. Moreover, despite their remarkably low tendency to aggregate even in a complex media like whole blood, the SPIONs still maintained their magnetic properties and were well attractable with a magnet. The magnetic properties were quantified by vibrating sample magnetometry and a superconducting quantum interference device. Using flow cytometry, we further investigated the effects of the different types of nanoparticle coating on morphology, viability, and DNA integrity of Jurkat cells. We showed that by addition of bovine serum albumin, the toxicity of nanoparticles is greatly reduced. We also investigated the effect of the particles on the growth of primary human endothelial cells to further demonstrate the biocompatibility of the particles. As proof of principle, we showed that the hybrid-coated particles are able to carry payloads of up to 800 μg/mL of the cytostatic drug mitoxantrone while still staying colloidally stable. The drug-loaded system exhibited excellent therapeutic potential in vitro, exceeding that of free mitoxantrone. In conclusion, we have synthesized a biocompatible ferrofluid that shows great potential for clinical

Natural polymers and proteins such as chitosan (CS) and albumin (Alb) have recently attracted much attention both in drug delivery and gene delivery. The underlying rationale is their unique properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility and controlled release. This study aimed to prepare novel albumin-chitosan-DNA (Alb-CS-DNA) core-shell nanoparticles as a plasmid delivery system and find the best conditions for their preparation. Phase separation method and ionic interaction were used for preparation of Alb nanoparticles and Alb-CS-DNA core-shell nanoparticles, respectively. The effects of three important independent variables (1) CS/Alb mass ratio, (2) the ratios of moles of the amine groups of cationic polymers to those of the phosphate groups of DNA (N/P ratio), and (3) Alb concentration, on the nanoparticle size and loading efficiency of the plasmid were investigated and optimized through Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions were found to be CS/Alb mass ratio = 3, N/P ratio = 8.24 and Alb concentration = 0.1 mg/mL. The most critical factors for the size of nanoparticles and loading efficiency were Alb concentration and N/P ratio. The optimized nanoparticles had an average size of 176 {+-} 3.4 nm and loading efficiency of 80 {+-} 3.9 %. Cytotoxicity experiments demonstrated that the prepared nanoparticles were not toxic. The high cellular uptake of nanoparticles ({approx}85 %) was shown by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy.

Small-angle neutron scattering has been used to study the interaction of silica nanoparticle with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) protein without and with a protein denaturing agent urea. The measurements have been carried out at pH 7 where both the components (nanoparticle and protein) are similarly charged. We show that the interactions in nanoparticle-protein system can be modified by changing the conformation of protein through the presence of urea. In the absence of urea, the strong electrostatic repulsion between the nanoparticle and protein prevents protein adsorption on nanoparticle surface. This non-adsorption, in turn gives rise to depletion attraction between nanoparticles. However, with addition of urea the depletion attraction is completely suppressed. Urea driven denaturation of protein is utilized to expose the positively charged patched of the BSA molecules which eventually leads to adsorption of BSA on nanoparticles eliminating the depletion interaction.

Structure and interaction among globular protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) and silica nanoparticle mixtures in solutions have been studied using small angle neutron scattering technique by varying the solution temperature. Our study shows that in absence of nanoparticles and up to 70 °C, an intermediate range repulsive and one long range attractive interaction potential between the proteins exist. Above that temperature, fractal structure forms. In presence of nanoparticles, fractal structures form even at room temperature by both the protein and nanoparticles. Fractal dimension increases with the increase of BSA concentration and solution temperature, and this temperature induced structural transition is irreversible.

Gallic acid (GA), as an antioxidant and antiparkinson agent, was loaded onto cationic human serum albuminnanoparticles (HSA NPs). Polyethylenimine (PEI)-coated HSA (PEI-HSA) NPs were prepared using three different methods: (I) coating negatively charged HSA NPs with positively charged PEI through attractive electrostatic interactions, (II) coating HSA NPs with PEI via covalent amide bond formation using N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride, and (III) coating HSA NPs with PEI via covalent bonding using glutaraldehyde for linking amine groups of PEI and amine groups of albumin NPs. Method II was selected since it resulted in a higher shift in the zeta potential value (mV) and less zeta potential value deviation, and also less size polydispersity. GA was loaded by adsorption onto the surface of PEI-HSA NPs of two different sizes: 117 ± 2.9 nm (PEI-P1) and 180 ± 3.1 nm (PEI-P2) NPs. Both GA-entrapment and GA-loading efficiencies increased slightly with the increasing size of NPs, and were affected intensely by the mass ratio of GA to PEI-HSA NPs. Free radical scavenging of GA was quantified based on the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method. The obtained results showed that GA remains active during the preparation of GA-loaded PEI-HSA NPs. The cytotoxicities of HSA, PEI-HSA, and GA-loaded PEI-HSA NPs on the PC-12 cells, as the neuroendocrine cell line, were measured. Our results indicate that positively charged PEI-HSA NPs are good candidates for efficient and safe delivery of GA to the brain.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are frequently used for drug targeting, hyperthermia and other biomedical purposes. Recently, we have reported the synthesis of lauric acid-/albumin-coated iron oxide nanoparticles SEON(LA-BSA), which were synthesized using excess albumin. For optimization of magnetic treatment applications, SPION suspensions need to be purified of excess surfactant and concentrated. Conventional methods for the purification and concentration of such ferrofluids often involve high shear stress and low purification rates for macromolecules, like albumin. In this work, removal of albumin by low shear stress tangential ultrafiltration and its influence on SEON(LA-BSA) particles was studied. Hydrodynamic size, surface properties and, consequently, colloidal stability of the nanoparticles remained unchanged by filtration or concentration up to four-fold (v/v). Thereby, the saturation magnetization of the suspension can be increased from 446.5 A/m up to 1667.9 A/m. In vitro analysis revealed that cellular uptake of SEON(LA-BSA) changed only marginally. The specific absorption rate (SAR) was not greatly affected by concentration. In contrast, the maximum temperature Tmax in magnetic hyperthermia is greatly enhanced from 44.4 °C up to 64.9 °C by the concentration of the particles up to 16.9 mg/mL total iron. Taken together, tangential ultrafiltration is feasible for purifying and concentrating complex hybrid coated SPION suspensions without negatively influencing specific particle characteristics. This enhances their potential for magnetic treatment.

Full Text Available Huibo Lian,1 Jinhui Wu,2 Yiqiao Hu,2 Hongqian Guo1 1Department of Urology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 2State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Resistance to regular treatment strategies is a big challenge in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Combination of photothermal and photodynamic therapy (PTT/PDT with chemotherapy offers unique advantages over monotherapy alone. However, free drugs, such as photosensitizers and chemotherapeutic agents, lack tumor-targeted accumulation and can be easily eliminated from the body. Moreover, most of the PTT drugs are hydrophobic and their organic solvents have in vivo toxicity, thereby limiting their potential in clinical translation. Herein, simple multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs using IR780 (a near-infrared dye and docetaxel (DTX-loaded nanoplatform based on human serum albumin (HSA (HSA@IR780@DTX was developed for targeted imaging and for PTT/PDT with chemotherapy for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer treatment. In this platform, HSA is a biocompatible nanocarrier that binds to both DTX and IR780. DTX and IR780, as hydrophobic drug, can induce the self-assembly of HSA proteins. Transmission electron microscopic imaging showed that NPs formed by self-assembly are spherical with a smooth surface with a hydrodynamic diameter of 146.5±10.8 nm. The cytotoxicity of HSA@IR780@DTX NPs with or without laser irradiation in prostate cancer cells (22RV1 was determined via CCK-8 assay. The antitumor effect of HSA@IR780@DTX plus laser irradiation was better than either HSA@IR780@DTX without laser exposure or single PTT heating induced by HSA@IR780 NPs under near-infrared laser, suggesting a significant combined effect in comparison to monotherapy. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging showed that HSA@IR780@DTX NPs could preferentially

Caveolae are plasma membrane invaginations prominent in all endothelial cells lining blood vessels. Caveolae characteristically bud to form free cytoplasmic vesicles capable of transporting carrier proteins such as albumin through the cell. However, caveolae size distribution and dynamics in living endothelial cells and ability of caveolae to internalize nanoparticles are not well understood. We demonstrate here the design of a dual-color nanoparticle pair to measure noninvasively caveolae size and dynamics. First, we coated nanoparticles with BSA (bovine serum albumin) to address whether albumin promoted their delivery. Albumin has been shown to bind to protein on endothelial cell surface localized in caveolae and activate albumin endocytosis. Imaging of BSA-coated nanoparticles varying from 20 to 100 nm in diameter in endothelial cells demonstrated that caveolae-mediated nanoparticle uptake was dependent on albumin coating of particles. We also showed that caveolae could accommodate up to 100 nm diameter nanoparticles, a size larger than the diameter of typical caveolae, suggesting compliant property of caveolae. Together, our results show the feasibility of tracking multicolored nanoparticles in living endothelial cells and potential usefulness for designing therapeutic nanoparticle cargo to cross the limiting vessel wall endothelial barrier.

Due to the limited chemical stability of the natural hyperforin molecule, a more stable form of hyperforin, i.e., the hyperforin dicyclohexylammonium salt (HYP-DCHA) has been used for ex vivo and in vitro experiments in recent years, but its actual stability under typical cell culture conditions has never been studied before. In this contribution the stability of HYP-DCHA was examined under typical cell culture conditions. Different cell culture media with and without fetal calf serum (FCS) supplementation were studied with regard to further stabilization of HYP-DCHA determined with HPLC analysis. Furthermore, albuminnanoparticles were examined as a stabilizing carrier system for HYP-DCHA. In this context, the interaction between HYP-DCHA and albuminnanoparticles (ANP) was examined with regard to size and loading with HYP . The effects of HYP-DCHA either supplied in cell culture medium or loaded on ANP on viability and cytotoxicity were studied in vitro on HaCaT monolayers (human keratinocyte cell line). HYP-DCHA supplied in FCS-containing medium was recovered completely after 24h of incubation. However, a lack of FCS caused a total loss of HYP-DCHA after less than 24h incubation time. Supplying HYP-DCHA loaded on ANP in an FCS-free medium resulted in a recovery of about 60% after 24h incubation. HYP-DCHA supplied in medium along with FCS showed a slow dose-dependent decrease in viability of HaCaT cells without any cytotoxic effects (antiproliferative effect). Treatment with HYP-DCHA with a lack of FCS resulted in a significantly faster decrease in viability which was mainly due to cytotoxicity. The latter was true for HYP-DHCA-loaded ANP where increased cytotoxicity was observed despite the presence of FCS. The results show that the stability of the widely used HYP-DCHA is rather limited under cell culture conditions. Especially a lack of FCS leads to degradation and/or oxidation of HYP-DCHA probably causing an increased cytotoxicity. In contrast, FCS

The effects of PEGylation on the structural, thermal and functional stability of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated using BSA and 6 linear mono-PEGylated BSA compounds. The secondary and tertiary structure of BSA measured by circular dichroism (CD) was independent of PEGylation....... In contrast, the thermal stability of BSA was affected by PEGylation. The apparent unfolding temperature Tmax measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) decreased with PEGylation, whereas the temperature of aggregation, Tagg, measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) increased with PEGylation....... The unfolding temperature and the temperature of aggregation were both independent of the molecular weight of the PEG chain. Possible functional changes of BSA after PEGylation were measured by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC), where the binding of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) to BSA and PEGylated BSA...

Differentiation of stem cells is influenced by many factors, yet uptake of the magnetic particles with or without magnetic field is rarely tackled. In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) (Fe 3 O 4 /BSA) particles were prepared, which showed a spherical morphology with a diameter below 200 nm, negatively charged surface, and tunable magnetic property. The particles could be internalized into bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and their release from the cells was significantly retarded under external magnetic field, resulting in almost twice intracellular amount of the particles within 21 d compared to that of the magnetic field free control. Uptake of the Fe 3 O 4 /BSA particles enhanced significantly the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs under a static magnetic field, as evidenced by elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium deposition, and expressions of collagen type I and osteocalcin at both mRNA and protein levels. Therefore, uptake of the Fe 3 O 4 /BSA particles brings significant influence on the differentiation of MSCs under magnetic field, and thereby should be paid great attention for practical applications. Differentiation of stem cells is influenced by many factors, yet uptake of the magnetic particles with or without magnetic field is rarely tackled. In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) (Fe 3 O 4 /BSA) particles with a diameter below 200nm, negatively charged surface, tunable Fe 3 O 4 content and subsequently adjustable magnetic property were prepared. The particles could be internalized into bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and their release from the cells was significantly retarded under external magnetic field. Uptake of the Fe 3 O 4 /BSA particles enhanced significantly the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs under a constant static magnetic field, while the magnetic particles and external magnetic field alone do not influence significantly the

Full Text Available Nanoparticles that are aimed at targeting cancer cells, but sparing healthy tissue provide an attractive platform of implementation for hyperthermia or as carriers of chemotherapeutics. According to the literature, diverse effects of nanoparticles relating to mammalian reproductive tissue are described. To address the impact of nanoparticles on cyto- and genotoxicity concerning the reproductive system, we examined the effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs on granulosa cells, which are very important for ovarian function and female fertility. Human granulosa cells (HLG-5 were treated with SPIONs, either coated with lauric acid (SEONLA only, or additionally with a protein corona of bovine serum albumin (BSA; SEONLA-BSA, or with dextran (SEONDEX. Both micronuclei testing and the detection of γH2A.X revealed no genotoxic effects of SEONLA-BSA, SEONDEX or SEONLA. Thus, it was demonstrated that different coatings of SPIONs improve biocompatibility, especially in terms of genotoxicity towards cells of the reproductive system.

The secondary structure and the thermostability of bovine serum albumin (BSA), before adsorption and after homomolecular displacement from silica and polystyrene particles, are studied by circular dichroism spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The structural perturbations induced by

Quantitative determination of HSA was conducted by competitive immunoassay. Inhibition of aggregation of antibody conjugated quantum dots (QD) with albumin conjugated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the presence of HSA was conducted. If antibody-loaded CdSe QDs aggregate with HSA-coated silver nanoparticles the distance between the two kinds of nanoparticles will be reduced enough to cause fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). In this case the yellow fluorescence of the Ab-QDs is quenched. However if HSA (antigen) is added to the Ab-QDs their surface will be blocked and they cannot aggregate any longer with the HSA-AgNPs. Hence, fluorescence will not be quenched. The drop of the intensity of fluorescence (peaking at 570 nm) is inversely correlated with the concentration of HSA in the sample. The method allows to determine HSA in the 30-600 ng·mL-1 concentration range.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate a library of poly-L-lysine (PLL)-graft (g)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) copolymers for the ability to encapsulate effectively a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and to characterize the stability and protein function of the resulting nanoparticle. A library of nine grafted copolymers was produced by varying PLL molecular weight and PEG grafting ratio. Electrostatic self-assembly of the protein and the grafted copolymer drove encapsulation. The formation of protein/polymer nanoparticles with a core/shell structure was confirmed using PAGE, dynamic light scattering, and electron microscopy. Encapsulation of the BSA into nanoparticles was strongly dependent on the copolymer-to-protein mass ratio, PEG grafting ratio, and PLL molecular weight. A copolymer-to-protein mass ratio of 7:1 and higher was generally required for high levels of encapsulation, and under these conditions, no loss of protein activity was observed. Copolymer characteristics also influenced nanoparticle resistance to polyanions and protease degradation. The results indicate that a copolymer of 15–30 kDa PLL, with a PEG grafting ratio of 10:1, is most promising for protein delivery. - Highlights: • A 4–70 kDa range of PLL-g-PEG copolymers was able to encapsulate BSA into NPs. • Encapsulation of BSA by PLL-g-PEG not only retained but increased esterolytic activity. • NPs were stable against protease degradation and polyanion dissociation.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate a library of poly-L-lysine (PLL)-graft (g)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) copolymers for the ability to encapsulate effectively a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and to characterize the stability and protein function of the resulting nanoparticle. A library of nine grafted copolymers was produced by varying PLL molecular weight and PEG grafting ratio. Electrostatic self-assembly of the protein and the grafted copolymer drove encapsulation. The formation of protein/polymer nanoparticles with a core/shell structure was confirmed using PAGE, dynamic light scattering, and electron microscopy. Encapsulation of the BSA into nanoparticles was strongly dependent on the copolymer-to-protein mass ratio, PEG grafting ratio, and PLL molecular weight. A copolymer-to-protein mass ratio of 7:1 and higher was generally required for high levels of encapsulation, and under these conditions, no loss of protein activity was observed. Copolymer characteristics also influenced nanoparticle resistance to polyanions and protease degradation. The results indicate that a copolymer of 15–30 kDa PLL, with a PEG grafting ratio of 10:1, is most promising for protein delivery. - Highlights: • A 4–70 kDa range of PLL-g-PEG copolymers was able to encapsulate BSA into NPs. • Encapsulation of BSA by PLL-g-PEG not only retained but increased esterolytic activity. • NPs were stable against protease degradation and polyanion dissociation.

Folate-conjugated, curcumin-loaded human serum albuminnanoparticles (F-CM-HSANPs) were obtained by the chemical conjugation of folate to the surface of the curcumin (CM)-loaded human serum albuminnanoparticles (NPs). The NPs were characterized by various parameters, including size, polydispersity, zeta potential, morphology, encapsulation efficiency, and drug release profile. The mean particle size of F-CM-HSANPs was 165.6±15.7 nm (polydispersity index <0.28), and the average encapsulation efficiency percentage and drug loading percentage of the F-CM-HSANPs were 88.7%±4.8% and 7.9%±0.4%, respectively. Applied in vitro, the CM NPs, after conjugation with folate, maintained sustained release, and a faster release of CM was more visibly observed than the unconjugated NPs. F-CM-HSANPs can prolong the retention time of CM significantly in vivo. However, after intravenous injection of F-CM-HSANPs, the pharmacokinetic parameters of CM were not significantly different from those of CM-loaded human serum albumin NPs. The improved antitumor activity of F-CM-HSANPs may be attributable to the protection of drug from enzymatic deactivation followed by the selective localization at the desired site. These results suggest that the intravenous injection of F-CM-HSANPs is likely to have an advantage in the current clinical CM formulation, because it does not require the use of a solubilization agent and it is better able to target the tumor tissue.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the most promising nanomaterials to be used in the biomedical field. Gold NPs (Au-NPs) have been covered with monolayers of many different molecules and macromolecules to prepare different kinds of biosensors. However, these coatings based on physisorption methods are not stable enough to prepare functional nanomaterials to be used in complex mixtures or in vivo applications. The aim of this work was to prepare a protein coating of Au-NPs based on a protein multilayer covering, stabilized by a novel radiation-induced crosslinking process. Albumins from human and bovine source were added to Au-NPs suspension and followed by ethanol addition to induce protein aggregation. Samples were irradiated with a gamma source at 10 kGy to induce a protein crosslinking according to recent findings. Samples containing 30%v/v ethanol showed a plasmon peak at about 532 nm, demonstrating the presence of non-aggregated Au-NPs. Using higher ethanol concentrations, the absorbance of plasmon peak showed NP aggregation. By Dynamic Light Scattering measurements, a new particle population with an average diameter of about 60 nm was found. Moreover, TEM images showed that the NPs had spherical shape and the presence of a low-density halo around the metal core confirmed the presence of the protein shell. An irradiation dose of one kGy was enough to show changes in the plasmon peak characteristics. The increase in the chemical stability of protein shell was demonstrated by the reduction in the NP dissolution kinetics in presence of cyanate.

Biotin molecules could be used as suitable targeting moieties in targeted drug delivery systems against tumors. To develop a biotin targeted drug delivery system, we employed human serum albumin (HSA) as a carrier. Methotrexate (MTX) molecules were conjugated to HSA. MTX-HSA nanoparticles (MTX-HSA NPs) were prepared from these conjugates by cross-linking the HSA molecules. Biotin molecules were then conjugated on the surface of MTX-HSA NPs. The anticancer efficacy of biotin targeted MTX-HSA NPs was evaluated in mice bearing 4T1 breast carcinoma. A single dose of biotin targeted MTX-HSA NPs showed stronger in vivo antitumor activity than non-targeted MTX-HSA NPs and free MTX. By 7 days after treatment, average tumor volume in the biotin targeted MTX-HSA NPs-treated group decreased to 17.6% of the initial tumor volume when the number of attached biotin molecules on MTX-HSA-NPs was the highest. Average tumor volume in non-targeted MTX-HSA NPs-treated mice grew rapidly and reached 250.7% of the initial tumor volume. Biotin targeted MTX-HSA NPs increased the survival of tumor-bearing mice to 47.5 ± 0.71 days and increased their life span up to 216.7%. Mice treated with biotin targeted MTX-HSA NPs showed slight body weight loss (8%) 21 days after treatment, whereas non-targeted MTX-HSA NPs treatment at the same dose caused a body weight loss of 27.05% ± 3.1%. PMID:21931482

Full Text Available Human serum albuminnanoparticles (HSA-NPs are widely-used drug delivery systems with applications in various diseases, like cancer. For intravenous administration of HSA-NPs, the particle size, surface charge, drug loading and in vitro release kinetics are important parameters for consideration. This study focuses on the development of stable HSA-NPs containing the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel (PTX via the emulsion-solvent evaporation method using a high-pressure homogenizer. The key parameters for the preparation of PTX-HSA-NPs are: the starting concentrations of HSA, PTX and the organic solvent, including the homogenization pressure and its number cycles, were optimized. Results indicate a size of 143.4 ± 0.7 nm and 170.2 ± 1.4 nm with a surface charge of −5.6 ± 0.8 mV and −17.4 ± 0.5 mV for HSA-NPs and PTX-HSA-NPs (0.5 mg/mL of PTX, respectively. The yield of the PTX-HSA-NPs was ~93% with an encapsulation efficiency of ~82%. To investigate the safety and effectiveness of the PTX-HSA-NPs, an in vitro drug release and cytotoxicity assay was performed on human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7. The PTX-HSA-NPs showed dose-dependent toxicity on cells of 52%, 39.3% and 22.6% with increasing concentrations of PTX at 8, 20.2 and 31.4 μg/mL, respectively. In summary, all parameters involved in HSA-NPs’ preparation, its anticancer efficacy and scale-up are outlined in this research article.

Manganese ferrite nanoparticles (MnFe2O4) have received increasing attention due to their remarkable magnetic properties and have been used for various biomedical applications. They have potential applications in magnetic resonance imaging and hyperthermia for cancer. Both novel applications require a delivery system that will allow nanoparticle to move easily and localization of nanoparticle to the target tissue. In our work, we developed human serum albumin coated manganese ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (HSA-MF NPs). The nanoparticles were prepared using solvothermal method and modified with folic acid for targeted delivery. Structure and morphology of manganese ferrite nanoparticle were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The size of folic acid conjugated HSA-MF NPs (HSA-MF-FA NPs) were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS). In the in vivo study, we used benzopyrene-induced cancer in mice. We successfully delivered HSA-MF-FA NPs through intravenous tail injection after induction of the tumour. We found that 54% of initial HSA-MF-FA NPs which previously injected localize in the target tissue. While obtained p-value from independent T-test is 0.013 which shows that there is a difference between the control group (HSA-MF NPs) and the treated group (HSA-MF-FA NPs)

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies have been carried out to investigate the effect of an electrolyte on the phase behavior of anionic silica nanoparticles with two globular proteins—cationic lysozyme [molecular weight (MW) 14.7 kDa] and anionic bovine serum albumin (MW 66.4 kDa). The results are compared with our earlier published work on similar systems without any electrolyte [I. Yadav, S. Kumar, V. K. Aswal, and J. Kohlbrecher, Phys. Rev. E 89, 032304 (2014), 10.1103/PhysRevE.89.032304]. Both the nanoparticle-protein systems transform to two phase at lower concentration of protein in the presence of an electrolyte. The autocorrelation function in DLS suggests that the diffusion coefficient (D) of a nanoparticle-protein system decreases in approaching two phase with the increase in protein concentration. This variation in D can be attributed to increase in attractive interaction and/or overall increase in the size. Further, these two contributions (interaction and structure) are determined from the SANS data. The changes in the phase behavior of nanoparticle-protein systems in the presence of an electrolyte are explained in terms of modifications in both the repulsive and attractive components of interaction between nanoparticles. In a two-phase system individual silica nanoparticles coexist along with their fractal aggregates.

Semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) with near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence has achieved great interest for early detection of colon tumors/cancer. We have synthesized lead sulphide (PbS) NPs (5–7 nm) having emission in NIR region and investigated its interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) to determine the bio-safety of PbS NPs. The interaction of PbS NPs with BSA occurs through formation of “hard” and “soft” protein NPs corona and follows exponential association. The hard corona represents that the core PbS NPs are fully covered by BSA with shell thickness of ∼8 nm, i.e., the dimension of BSA monomer. A large number of PbS NPs with hard corona of BSA forms “colony” with diameters in the range of 200–400 nm. The soft corona grows surrounding this colony. The quenching of fluorescence BSA in the presence of PbS NPs follows dynamic quenching process with tryptophan as major binding sites. Nearest to human body temperature, positive cooperative association between PbS NPs and BSA are found, and affinity of BSA to the PbS NPs gradually increases in superlinear fashion. The electrostatic interaction is the key force in binding of PbS NPs with BSA, and hydrophobic interaction between PbS NPs and BSA is responsible for conformational change of BSA.

Full text: Reversed micelles (RMs) of AOT (sodium bis-2-ethylhexyl sulfosuccinate) has constitute an efficient system to investigate membrane interaction and physical chemical behavior of short biologically active peptides, proteins and enzymes in water controlled environment and apolar medium. Information may be obtained from protein-membrane interaction, including solubilization, binding location, conformational changes, activity size droplet-dependent, and changes in the properties of RM environment, useful in studies in biocatalysis and bioseparation systems [1]. In this work, changes in the structural features and interactive forces among AOT RMs in hexane were monitored in several stages of micellar hydration W (= [buffer]/[0.1M AOT]), and in the presence of BSA (66.5 kDa) and BCA (30 Kda), by SAXS. The interactive forces between the RMs with proteins were analyzed within the framework of repulsion and attractive interaction potentials through the pairing stick hardsphere (PSHS) model [2]. In this way, the spherical core radius to the system of pure AOT RMs at W = 4, 10, 20 and 30 were respectively 15, 22, 33 and 43 A (20% of polydispersity), evaluated from the particle form factor P(q) modeling [1]. The PSHS analysis from SAXS curves of AOT RMs with BSA and BCA at smaller droplets size of 4 and 10, showed, respectively, an interplay between attractive and repulsive interactions between the micelles (attractive component in S(q) was predominant) with the preservation of the discrete RM radius in the presence of protein. On the other hand, for protein confined in the bigger RM droplet size with W=30, the attractive inter micellar forces were of minor importance for BSA and the appearing of a predominant repulsive hard sphere component in SAXS curves accompanied by a decreasing of the micellar radius to 36 A were detected. For BCA, however, at higher W (30), a phase separation was observed probably associated to the formation of unstable large BCA aggregates

Gold nanoparticles of different sizes have been synthesized using sodium citrate as a reducing agent for tetrachloroauric (III) acid. The formed gold nanoparticles have been characterized by the UV-visible and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. The different sized gold nanoparticles have been used to study the interaction with model transport protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA). Experimental results reveal that BSA molecules adsorbed on the metallic surfaces, suffer strong quenching of their fluorescence and the rate of quenching efficiency is different for different particle size. The analysis of the quenching results has been performed in terms of the Stern-Volmer equation. The mechanism of quenching of fluorescence has been explained. The extent of adsorption of BSA on the gold nanoparticles has been estimated

Development of biocompatible/biodegradable materials with multiple functionalities via simple methods for cancer combination therapy has attracted great attention in recent years. Herein, paclitaxel (PTX), a popular anti-tumor chemotherapeutic drug, is used to induce the self-assembly of human serum albumin (HSA) pre-labeled with radionuclide I-131, obtaining 131 I-HSA-PTX nanoparticles for combined chemotherapy and radioisotope therapy (RIT) of cancer. Such 131 I-HSA-PTX nanoparticles show prolonged blood circulation time, high tumor specific uptake and excellent intra-tumor penetration ability. Interestingly, as revealed by in vivo photoacoustic imaging and ex vivo immunofluorescence staining, PTX delivered into the tumor by HSA-nanoparticle transportation can remarkably enhance the tumor local oxygen level and suppress the expression of HIF-1α, leading to greatly relieved tumor hypoxia. As the results, the combined in vivo chemotherapy & RIT with 131 I-HSA-PTX nanoparticles in the animal tumor model offers excellent synergistic therapeutic efficacy, likely owing to the greatly modulated tumor microenvironment associated with PTX-based chemotherapy. Therefore, in this work, a simple yet effective therapeutic agent is developed for synergistic chemo-RIT of cancer, promising for future clinic translations in cancer treatment.

Protein-protein interactions play crucial roles in numerous biological processes. However, it is still challenging to evaluate the protein-protein interactions, such as antigen and antibody, in the presence of drug molecules in physiological liquid. In this study, the interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and rabbit anti-BSA was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the presence of various antimicrobial drugs (sulphathiazole sodium, tylosin and levofloxacin) under physiological condition. The results show that increasing the concentration of tylosin decreased the single-molecule-specific force between BSA and rabbit anti-BSA. As for sulphathiazole sodium, it dramatically decreased the specific force at a certain critical concentration, but increased the nonspecific force as its concentration increasing. In addition, the presence of levofloxacin did not greatly influence either the specific or nonspecific force. Collectively, these results suggest that these three drugs may adopt different mechanisms to affect the interaction force between BSA and rabbit anti-BSA. These findings may enhance our understanding of antigen/antibody binding processes in the presence of drug molecules, and hence indicate that AFM could be helpful in the design and screening of drugs-modulating protein-protein interaction processes.

The aim of this study was to optimize the production of BSA-loaded alginate microcapsules by spray drying and to study the release of bovine serum albumin fraction V (BSA) under gastric simulated conditions. Microcapsule yield, BSA release, microcapsule size and size distribution were characterized following the application of different production parameters including inlet air temperature, inlet air pressure and liquid feed rate. The microcapsules were incubated in 0.1 N HCl and BSA release was quantified over time. The yields were higher with the pressure of 3 bar compared to 4 bar and with a feed rate of 0.45 vs. 0.2 ml s(-1). A high feed rate (0.45 vs. 0.2 ml s(-1)) allows one to obtain microcapsules with a low BSA release (p = 0.0327). The increase of the atomizer inlet temperature leads to microcapsules with a higher BSA release (p = 0.0230). A higher air pressure of 4 bar compared to 3 bar resulted in a lower microcapsule size (2.55 vs. 2.80 microm) and led to a narrower size distribution (0.92 vs. 1.07). In conclusion, the spray dryer parameters influenced the alginate microcapsule characteristics as well as subsequent protein release into a simulated gastric medium.

Pathogenesis of amyloid-related diseases is associated with the presence of protein amyloid deposits. Insulin amyloids have been reported in a patient with diabetes undergoing treatment by injection of insulin and causes problems in the production and storage of this drug and in application of insulin pumps. We have studied the interference of insulin amyloid fibrils with a series of 18 albumin magnetic fluids (MFBSAs) consisting of magnetite nanoparticles modified by different amounts of bovine serum albumin (w/w BSA/Fe3O4 from 0.005 up to 15). We have found that MFBSAs are able to destroy amyloid fibrils in vitro. The extent of fibril depolymerization was affected by nanoparticle physical-chemical properties (hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential and isoelectric point) determined by the BSA amount present in MFBSAs. The most effective were MFBSAs with lower BSA/Fe3O4 ratios (from 0.005 to 0.1) characteristic of about 90% depolymerizing activity. For the most active magnetic fluids (ratios 0.01 and 0.02) the DC50 values were determined in the range of low concentrations, indicating their ability to interfere with insulin fibrils at stoichiometric concentrations. We assume that the present findings represent a starting point for the application of the active MFBSAs as therapeutic agents targeting insulin amyloidosis.

Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-templated zinc phosphate (Zn3(PO4)2@BSA) was synthesized by a feasible self-assembly method and applied as support for platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs). The possible formation mechanism of Zn3(PO4)2@BSA nanocomposite was investigated using time-dependent experiments. We found that Zn3(PO4)2@BSA nanocomposite was transformed from its nanoplate counterpart. Furthermore, the amount of the precursor H2PtCl6 used in the formation of PtNP@Zn3(PO4)2@BSA plays an important role in the electrocatalytic activity of the developed PtNP@Zn3(PO4)2@BSA electrocatalyst. Results showed that the deposition of Pt onto the surface of Zn3(PO4)2@BSA nanocomposite with 150 μL of H2PtCl6 produced the most uniformly distributed Pt NPs, with an average size of approximately 2 nm. The as-prepared novel PtNP@Zn3(PO4)2@BSA electrocatalyst exhibits considerably enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation compared with multi-walled carbon nanotube-supported Pt NP electrocatalyst. The introduction of Zn3(PO4)2@BSA nanocomposite as new support material demonstrated a new strategy that can potentially accelerate electrode reactions toward methanol oxidation.

In this article, the interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the cationic 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) at the air-buffer interface was investigated at different subphase's pH values (pH = 3, 5 and 10). Surface pressure measurements (π - A) and penetration kinetics process (π - t) were carried out to reveal the interaction mechanism and the dynamical behavior. The data showed that π - A isotherms moved towards larger mean molecular area when the concentration of BSA ([BSA]) increased, the amount of BSA adsorbed onto DOTAP monolayer reached a threshold value at a [BSA] of 5 × 10 -8 M, and BSA desorbed from the lipid monolayer as time goes by. The results revealed that the association of BSA with DOTAP at the air-buffer interface was affected by the subphase's pH value. When pH = 10, the interaction mechanism between them was a combination of hydrophobic interaction and electrostatic attraction, so BSA molecules could be well separated and purified from complex mixtures. AFM images demonstrated that pH value and [BSA] could affect the morphology feature of DOTAP monolayer and the adsorption and desorption processes of BSA. So the study provides an important experimental basis and theoretical support for learning the interaction mechanism among biomolecules in separation and purification of biomolecules and biosensor.

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of water soluble chitosan as a carrier in the preparation of protein-loaded nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were prepared by ionotropic gelation of water-soluble chitosan (WSC with sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP. Bovine serum albumin (BSA was applied as a model drug. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles were investigated as a function of the preparation conditions. The particles were spherical in shape and had a smooth surface. The size range of the nanoparticles was between 100 and 400 nm. Result of the in vitro studies showed that the WSC nanoparticles enhance and prolong the intestinal absorption of BSA. These results also indicated that WSC nanoparticles were a potential protein delivery system.

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was selected as template for the synthesis of AuNPs@gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) core/shell nanoparticles, in which BSA not only acted as dual functions agent for both anchoring and reducing Au3+ ions, but also was employed as a bridge between the AuNPs and AuNCs. Optical properties of AuNPs@AuNCs core/shell nanoparticles were studied using UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The prepared AuNPs@AuNCs core/shell nanoparticles exhibited sphere size uniformity with improved monodispersity, excellent fluorescence and fluorescent stability. Compared with AuNCs, AuNPs@AuNCs core/shell nanoparticles possessed large size and strong fluorescence intensity due to the effect of AuNPs as core. Moreover, the mechanism of the AuNPs induced fluorescence changes of the core/shell nanoparticles was first explored.

When nanoparticles (NPs) come into contact with biological fluids, proteins, and other biomolecules interact with their surface. Upon exposure to biological fluids a layer of proteins adsorbs onto their surface, the so-called protein corona, and interactions of biological systems with NPs are therefore mediated by this corona. Here, interactions of serum albumin with silver and gold NPs were quantitatively investigated using circular dichroism spectroscopy. Moreover, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy was used for further elucidation of protein binding to silver surfaces. The decisive role of poly(vinylpyrrolidone), coatings on the protein adsorption was quantitatively described for the first time and the influential role of the polymer coatings is discussed. Research in nanotoxicology may benefit from such molecular scale data as well as scientific approaches seeking to improve nanomedical applications by using a wide range of polymer surface coatings to optimize biological transport and medical action of NPs.

Imaging guided techniques have been increasingly employed to investigate the pharmacokinetics (PK) and biodistribution of nanoparticle based drug delivery systems. In most cases, however, the PK profiles of drugs could vary significantly from those of drug delivery carriers upon administration in the blood circulation, which complicates the interpretation of image findings. Herein we applied a genetically encoded luciferase reporter in conjunction with near infrared (NIR) fluorophores to investigate the respective PK profiles of a drug and its carrier in a biodegradable drug delivery system. In this system, a prototype hydrophobic agent, rapamycin (Rapa), was encapsulated into human serum albumin (HSA) to form HSA Rapa nanoparticles, which were then labeled with Cy5 fluorophore to facilitate the fluorescence imaging of HSA carrier. Meanwhile, we employed transgenetic HN12 cells that were modified with a split luciferase reporter, whose bioluminescence function is regulated by Rapa, to reflect the PK profile of the encapsulated agent. It was interesting to discover that there existed an obvious inconsistency of PK behaviors between HSA carrier and rapamycin in vitro and in vivo through near infrared fluorescence imaging (NIFRI) and bioluminescence imaging (BLI) after treatment with Cy5 labeled HSA Rapa. Nevertheless, HSA Rapa nanoparticles manifested favorable in vivo PK and tumor suppression efficacy in a follow-up therapeutic study. The developed strategy of combining a molecular reporter and a fluorophore in this study could be extended to other drug delivery systems to provide profound insights for non-invasive real-time evaluation of PK profiles of drug-loaded nanoparticles in pre-clinical studies.Imaging guided techniques have been increasingly employed to investigate the pharmacokinetics (PK) and biodistribution of nanoparticle based drug delivery systems. In most cases, however, the PK profiles of drugs could vary significantly from those of drug delivery

In this work, XG extracted from Tamarindus indica (XGT) and Copaifera langsdorffii (XGC) seeds were deposited onto Si wafers as thin films. The characteristics of XGT and XGC adsorbed layers were compared with a commercial XG sample (TKP, Tamarind kernel powder) by ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Moreover, the adsorption of oxidized derivative of XGT (To60) onto amino-terminated Si wafers and the immobilization of bovine serum albumin (BSA) onto polysaccharides covered wafers, as a function of pH, were also investigated. The XG samples presented molar ratios Glc:Xyl:Gal of 2.4:2.1:1 (XGC); 2.8: 2.3: 1 (XGT) and 1.9:1.9:1 (TKP). The structure of XGT and XGC was determined by O-methy alditol acetate derivatization and showed similar features, but XGC confirmed the presence of more {alpha}-D-Xyl branches due to more {beta}-D-Gal ends. XGT deposited onto Si adsorbed as fibers and small entities uniformly distributed, as evidenced by AFM, while TPK and XGC formed larger aggregates. The thickness of To60 onto amino-terminated surface was similar to that determined for XGT onto Si wafers. A maximum in the adsorbed amount of BSA occurred close to its isoelectric point (5.5). These findings indicate that XGT and To60 are potential materials for the development of biomaterials and biotechnological devices.

The interaction of nicotine and bovine serum albumin(BSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectra and UV-vis spectra. The fluorescence spectrum showed that BSA fluorescence quench regularly with the addition of nicotine.The fluorescence quenching mechanisms were also studied in pH 5.0, pH 7.4 and pH 11.0 by Stern-Volmer equation, indicating dynamic quenching(pH 5.0) and static quenching(pH 7.4 and pH 11.0) respectively. Association constants (k) of nicotine and BSA at pH 7.4 and pH 11.0 at the temperatures of 20 and 37 degrees C were given by the Lineweaver-Buck equation, which are: k(20 degrees C) = 140.15 L x mol(-1) and k(37 degrees C) = 131.83 mol x L(-1) (pH 7.4), and k(20 degrees C) = 141.76 mol x L(-1), k(37 degrees C) = 27.79 mol x L(-1) (pH 11.0), suggesting that the association constant is effected by the temperature much more remarkably at pH 7.4 than that at pH 11.0 because of the different states of nicotine at different pHs. The UV-Vis spectra exhibit that the absorbance of BSA(210 nm) shifts to red and decreases gradually with the addition of nicotine, reflecting the transition of secondary structure of BSA, namely, the helix of BSA becomes looser. The UV-Vis second derivative spectra and synchronous spectra (delta wavelength = wavelength(em) - wavelength(ex) = 15 nm and delta wavelength = wavelength(em) - wavelength(ex) = 60 nm) imply the change of the microcircumstance of aromatic amino residues of BSA(Trp, Tyr and Phe) from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity at high concentration of nicotine.

The pH-dependent structure and interaction of anionic silica nanoparticles (diameter 18 nm) with two globular model proteins, lysozyme and bovine serum albumin (BSA), have been studied. Cationic lysozyme adsorbs strongly on the nanoparticles, and the adsorption follows exponential growth as a function of lysozyme concentration, where the saturation value increases as pH approaches the isoelectric point (IEP) of lysozyme. By contrast, irrespective of pH, anionic BSA does not show any adsorption. Despite having a different nature of interactions, both proteins render a similar phase behavior where nanoparticle-protein systems transform from being one-phase (clear) to two-phase (turbid) above a critical protein concentration (CPC). The measurements have been carried out for a fixed concentration of silica nanoparticles (1 wt %) with varying protein concentrations (0-5 wt %). The CPC is found to be much higher for BSA than for lysozyme and increases for lysozyme but decreases for BSA as pH approaches their respective IEPs. The structure and interaction in these systems have been examined using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The effective hydrodynamic size of the nanoparticles measured using DLS increases with protein concentration and is related to the aggregation of the nanoparticles above the CPC. The propensity of the nanoparticles to aggregate is suppressed for lysozyme and enhanced for BSA as pH approached their respective IEPs. This behavior is understood from SANS data through the interaction potential determined by the interplay of electrostatic repulsion with a short-range attraction for lysozyme and long-range attraction for BSA. The nanoparticle aggregation is caused by charge neutralization by the oppositely charged lysozyme and through depletion for similarly charged BSA. Lysozyme-mediated attractive interaction decreases as pH approaches the IEP because of a decrease in the charge on the protein. In the case of

In this paper, we describe the preparation of human serum albumin-coated magnetic particles of about 200 nm in diameter with narrow size distribution radiolabeled with 188Re for the purpose of magnetically targeted therapy. The optimum radiolabeling conditions are: SnCl2 x 2H2O 8 mg/ml, citric acid 20 mg/ml, vitamin C 8 mg/ml, labeling volume 500 microl and a reaction time of 3 h. The stability of the radiolabeled particles is suitable for in vivo study.

Full Text Available The objective of the present study is to formulate and characterize a nanoparticulate-based formulation of a macromolecule in a hydrophobic ion pairing (HIP complex form. So far, HIP complexation approach has been studied only for proteins with molecular weight of 10–20 kDa. Hence, we have selected bovine serum albumin (BSA having higher molecular weight (66.3 kDa as a model protein and dextran sulphate (DS as a complexing polymer to generate HIP complex. We have prepared and optimized the HIP complex formation process of BSA with DS. Ionic interactions between basic amino acids of BSA with sulphate groups of DS were confirmed by FTIR analysis. Further, nanoparticles were prepared and characterized with respect to size and surface morphology. We observed significant entrapment of BSA in nanoparticles prepared with minimal amounts of PLGA polymer. Finally, results of circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence assay have clearly indicated that HIP complexation and method of nanoparticle preparation did not alter the secondary and tertiary structures of BSA.

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) protected nanoclusters (Au and Ag) represent a group of nanomaterials that holds great promise in biophysical applications due to their unique fluorescence properties and lack of toxicity. These metal nanoclusters have utility in a variety of disciplines including catalysis, biosensing, photonics, imaging and molecular electronics. However, they suffer from several disadvantages such as low fluorescence quantum efficiency (typically near 6%) and broad emission spectrum (540 nm to 800 nm). We describe an approach to enhance the apparent brightness of BSA Au clusters by linking them with a high extinction donor organic dye pacific blue (PB). In this conjugate PB acts as a donor to BSA Au clusters and enhances its brightness by resonance energy transfer (RET). We found that the emission of BSA Au clusters can be enhanced by a magnitude of two-fold by resonance energy transfer (RET) from the high extinction donor PB, and BSA Au clusters can act as an acceptor to nanosecond lifetime organic dyes. By pumping the BSA Au clusters using a high extinction donor, one can increase the effective brightness of less bright fluorophores like BSA Au clusters. Moreover, we prepared another conjugate of BSA Au clusters with the near infrared (NIR) dye Dylight 750 (Dy750), where BSA Au clusters act as a donor to Dy750. We observed that BSA Au clusters can function as a donor, showing 46% transfer efficiency to the NIR dye Dy750 with a long lifetime component in the acceptor decay through RET. Such RET-based probes can be used to prevent the problems of a broad emission spectrum associated with the BSA Au clusters. Moreover, transferring energy from BSA Au clusters to Dy750 will result in a RET probe with a narrow emission spectrum and long lifetime component which can be utilized in imaging applications.

Interaction between tannin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was examined by the fluorescent quenching. The process of elimination between BSA and tannin was the one of a stationary state, and the coupling coefficient was one. The working strength between the tannin and the beef serum was hydrophobic one.

In pursuit of the biological detection applications, recent years have witnessed the prosperity of novel multi-modal nanoprobes. In this study, biocompatible bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) containing Gd (III) as the contrast agent for both X-ray CT and T1-weighted MR imaging is reported. Firstly, the Au NPs with BSA coating (Au@BSA) was prepared through a moderate one-pot reduction route in the presence of hydrazine hydrate as reducer. Sequentially, the BSA coating enables modification of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) as well as targeting reagent hyaluronic acid (HA), and further chelation of Gd (III) ions led to the formation of biomimetic nanoagent HA-targeted Gd-Au NPs (HA-targeted Au@BSA-Gd-DTPA). Several techniques were used to thoroughly characterize the formed HA-targeted Gd-Au NPs. As expected, the as-prepared nanoagent with mean diameter of 13.82 nm exhibits not only good colloid stablility and water dispersibility, but also satisfying low cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility in the tested concentration range. Additionally, for the CT phantoms, the obtained nanocomplex shows an improved contrast in CT scanning than that of Au@BSA as well as small molecule iodine-based CT contrast agents such as iopromide. Meanwhile, for the T1-weighted MRI images, there is a linear increase of contrast with concentration of Gd for the two cases of HA-targeted Gd-Au NPs and Magnevist. Strikingly, the nanoagent we explored displays a relatively higher r1 relaxivity than that of commercial MR contrast agents. Therefore, this newly constructed nanoagent could be used as contrast agents for synergistically enhanced X-ray CT and MR phantoms, holding promising potential for future biomedical applications.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and essentially fatty acid-free BSA (BSA-FAF) on the biliary clearance of compounds in sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes. Unbound fraction (fu), biliary excretion index (BEI), and unbound intrinsic biliary clearance (intrinsic Cl’biliary) were determined for digoxin, pravastatin, and taurocholate in the absence or presence of BSA or BSA-FAF. BSA had little effect on the BEI or intrinsic Cl’biliary of th...

Titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used as an important kind of biomaterials. The interaction between TiO{sub 2} (P25) at 20 nm in diameter and human serum albumin (HSA) was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy in this work. Under the simulative physiological conditions, fluorescence data revealed the presence of a single class of binding site on HSA and its binding constants (K{sub a}) were 2.18+-0.04x10{sup 4}, 0.87+-0.05x10{sup 4}, 0.68+-0.06x10{sup 4} M{sup -1} at 298, 304 and 310 K, respectively. In addition, according to the Van't Hoff equation, the thermodynamic functions standard enthalpy (DELTAH{sup 0}) and standard entropy (DELTAS{sup 0}) for the reaction were calculated to be -75.18+-0.15 kJ mol{sup -1} and -170.11+-0.38 J mol{sup -1} K{sup -1}. These results indicated that TiO{sub 2} NPs bond to HSA mainly by van der Waals force and hydrogen bonding formation in low dielectric media, and the electrostatic interactions cannot be excluded. Furthermore, the effects of common ions on the binding constant of TiO{sub 2} NPs-HSA complex were discussed.

The interactions of the sugars glucose and lactose with the transport protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated using fluorescence, FT-IR and circular dichroism (CD) techniques. The results indicated that glucose could be bonded and transported by BSA, mainly involving hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions (ΔH = -86.13 kJ mol(-1)). The obtained fluorescence data from the binding of sugar and BSA were processed by the multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) method, and the extracted concentration profiles showed that the equilibrium constant, rglucose:BSA, was about 7. However, the binding of lactose to BSA did not quench the fluorescence significantly, and this indicated that lactose could not be directly transported by BSA. The binding experiments were further performed using the fluorescence titration method in the presence of calcium and BSA. Calcium was added so that the calcium/BSA reactions could be studied in the presence or absence of glucose, lactose or hydrolysis products. The results showed that hydrolyzed lactose seemed to enhance calcium absorption in bovine animals. It would also appear that for children, lactose provides better nutrition; however, glucose is better for adults.

Drug delivery which can offer efficient and localized drug transportation together with imaging capabilities is highly demanded in the development of cancer theranostic approaches. Herein, we report the construction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) gold nanoclusters (BSA@AuNCs) for cell fluoresce imaging and target drug delivery. BSA@AuNCs were modified with cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartate with the product RGD-BSA@AuNCs to enhance cell internalization of the nanoclusters. Furthermore, doxorubicin hydrochloride or doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used chemotherapy drug, was also used to modify RGD-BSA@AuNCs. The final design of the DOX/RGD-BSA@AuNC system was constructed through the disulfide bond. The physical microstructure and biological characterization of the BSA@AuNCs were realized through high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser fluorescence microscopy. As the disulfide bonds were cleaved by glutathione in cancer cells, DOX-SH molecules were released from the nanosystem to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The as-prepared DOX/RGD-BSA@AuNC system can be used not only to deliver drug but also to achieve the antitumor effect by in vivo imaging, demonstrating its promising applications in cancer treatment.

The aim of the present work was to prepare and characterize biopolymer nanocarriers and evaluate their suitability in possible oral delivery of insulin. The egg albumin biopolymer was used to prepare nanoparticles which were further characterized by Fourier transformed Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential, Dynamic Light scattering (DLS) and cytotoxicity. From the characterization studies the size of the nanoparticles washemoly found to lie in the range 20-80 nm with surface charge of -23 mV and also offering extremely fair biocompatibility.. The in-vitro biocompatibility of the prepared nanocarriers was judged by BSA adsorption test and haemolysis assay. The in vitro release kinetics of the insulin loaded nanoparticles was studied in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution, and the influence of various factors such as pH, temperature and simulated physiological fluids was studied on the controlled release of insulin.

Vacuum deposition techniques like thermal evaporation and CVD with their precise layer control and high layer purity often cannot be applied for the deposition of chemical or biological molecules. The molecules are usually decomposed by heat. To overcome this problem, the Electrospray ionization (ESI) process known from mass spectroscopy is employed to transfer molecules into vacuum and to deposit them on a substrate. In this work, a homemade ESI tool was used to deposit BSA (Bovine serum albumin) layers with high deposition rates. Solutions with different concentrations of BSA were prepared using a methanol:water (MeOH:H2O) mixture (1:1) as solvent. The influence of the substrate distance on the deposition rate and on the transmission current was analyzed. Furthermore, the layer thickness distribution and layer adhesion were investigated.

This study reports on the preparation, characterization and in vitro toxicity test of a new nano-drug delivery system (NDDS) based on bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanospheres which incorporates surface-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) and/or the silicon(IV) phthalocyanine (NzPc). The new NDDS was engineered for use in photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with hyperthermia (HPT) to address cancer treatment. The BSA-based nanospheres, hosting NzPc, MNP or both (NzPc and MNP), present spherical shape with hydrodynamic average diameter values ranging from 170 to 450 nm and zeta potential of around -23 mV. No difference on the fluorescence spectrum of the encapsulated NzPc was found regardless of the presence of MNP. Time-dependent fluorescence measurements of the encapsulated NzPc revealed a bi-exponential decay for samples incorporating only NzPc and NzPc plus MNP, in the time window ranging from 1.70 to 5.20 ns. The in vitro assay, using human fibroblasts, revealed no cytotoxic effect in all samples investigated, demonstrating the potential of the tested system as a synergistic NDDS.

Thermally denatured human serum albumin interacts with {approx}3.0 nm spherical AgNP enhancing the fluorescence of Trp-214 at large protein/nanoparticle ratios. However, using native HSA, no changes in the emission were observed. The observation is likely due to differences between native and denatured protein packing resulting from protein corona formation. We have also found that NH{sub 2} blocking of the protein strongly affects the ability of the protein to protect AgNP from different salts/ions such as NaCl, PBS, Hank's buffer, Tris-HCl, MES, and DMEM. Additionally, AgNP can be readily prepared in aqueous solutions by a photochemical approach employing HSA as an in situ protecting agent. The role of the protein in this case is beyond that of protecting agent; thus, Ag{sup +} ions and I-2959 complexation within the protein structure also affects the efficiency of AgNP formation. Blocking NH{sub 2} in HSA modified the AgNP growth profile, surface plasmon band shape, and long-term stability suggesting that amine groups are directly involved in the formation and post-stabilization of AgNP. In particular, AgNP size and shape are extensively influenced by NH{sub 2} blocking, leading primarily to cubes and plates with sizes around 5-15 nm; in contrast, spherical monodisperse 4.0 nm AgNP are observed for native HSA. The nanoparticles prepared by this protocol are non-toxic in primary cells and have remarkable antibacterial properties. Finally, surface plasmon excitation of native HSA-AgNP promoted loss of protein conformation in just 5 min, suggesting that plasmon heating causes protein denaturation using continuous light sources such as commercial LED.

In recent years, great efforts have focused on the exploration and fabrication of protein nanoconjugates due to potential applications in many fields including bioanalytical science, biosensors, biocatalysis, biofuel cells and bio-based nanodevices. An important aspect of our understanding of protein nanoconjugates is to quantitatively understand how proteins interact with nanomaterials. In this report, human serum albumin (HSA) and citrate-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are selected as a case study of protein-nanomaterial interactions. UV-visible spectroscopy together with multivariate curve resolution by alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) algorithm is first exploited for the detailed study of AgNPs-HSA interactions. Introduction of the chemometrics tool allows extracting the kinetic profiles, spectra and distribution diagrams of two major absorbing pure species (AgNPs and AgNPs-HSA conjugate). These resolved profiles are then analysed to give the thermodynamic, kinetic and structural information of HSA binding to AgNPs. Transmission electron microscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are used to further characterize the complex system. Moreover, a sensitive spectroscopic biosensor for HSA is fabricated with the MCR-ALS resolved concentration of absorbing pure species. It is found that the linear range for the HSA nanosensor was from 1.9 nM to 45.0 nM with a detection limit of 0.9 nM. It is believed that the proposed method will play an important role in the fabrication and optimization of a robust nanobiosensor or cross-reactive sensors array for the detection and identification of biocomponents.

The native form of serum albumin is the most important soluble protein in the body plasma. In order to investigate the structural changes of Bovine serum albumin (BSA) during its unfolding in the presence of urea, a small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) study was performed. The scattering curves of dilute solutions of BSA ...

Feb 19, 2008 ... Since the pore size of poly acrylamide is limited, proteins higher than 800 kDa cannot permeate into the gel. An acrylamide concentration of 10% has been selected to enable optimal resolution for the soluble proteins. The molecular weight markers and protein samples were separated by SDS–PAGE using.

Full Text Available Abstract Background The synthesis of bioactive nanoparticles with precise molecular level control is a major challenge in bionanotechnology. Understanding the nature of the interactions between the active components and transport biomaterials is thus essential for the rational formulation of bio-nanocarriers. The current study presents a single molecule of bovine serum albumin (BSA, lysozyme (Lys, or myoglobin (Mb used to load hydrophobic drugs such as quercetin (Q and other flavonoids. Results Induced by dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, BSA, Lys, and Mb formed spherical nanocarriers with sizes less than 70 nm. After loading Q, the size was further reduced by 30%. The adsorption of Q on protein is mainly hydrophobic, and is related to the synergy of Trp residues with the molecular environment of the proteins. Seven Q molecules could be entrapped by one Lys molecule, 9 by one Mb, and 11 by one BSA. The controlled releasing measurements indicate that these bioactive nanoparticles have long-term antioxidant protection effects on the activity of Q in both acidic and neutral conditions. The antioxidant activity evaluation indicates that the activity of Q is not hindered by the formation of protein nanoparticles. Other flavonoids, such as kaempferol and rutin, were also investigated. Conclusions BSA exhibits the most remarkable abilities of loading, controlled release, and antioxidant protection of active drugs, indicating that such type of bionanoparticles is very promising in the field of bionanotechnology.

Recent advances in the field of dermatotherapy have resulted in research efforts focusing on the use of particle-based drug delivery systems for the stimuli-responsive release of drugs in the skin and skin appendages, i.e. hair follicles and sebaceous glands. However, effective and innocuous trigger mechanisms which result in the release of the drugs from the nanocarriers upon reaching the target structures are still lacking. For the first time, the present study demonstrated the photo-activated release of the model drug fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) from topically applied gold nanoparticle-doped bovine serum albumin (AuNPs-doped BSA) particles (approx. 545nm) using water-filtered infrared A (IRA) radiation in the hair follicles of an ex vivo porcine skin model. The IRA radiation-induced plasmonic heating of the AuNPs results in the partial decomposition or opening of the albumin particles and release the model drug, while control particles without AuNPs show insignificant release. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using IRA radiation to induce release of encapsulated drugs from plasmonic nanocarriers for the targeting of follicular structures. However, the risk of radiation-induced skin damage subsequent to repeated applications of high infrared dosages may be significant. Future studies should aim at determining the suitability of lower infrared A dosages, such as for medical treatment regimens which may necessitate repeated exposure to therapeutics. Follicular targeting using nanocarriers is of increasing importance in the prophylaxis and treatment of dermatological or other diseases. For the first time, the present study demonstrated the photo-activated release of the model drug fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) from topically applied gold nanoparticle-doped bovine serum albumin (AuNPs-doped BSA) particles using water-filtered infrared A (IRA) radiation in the hair follicles of an ex vivo porcine skin model. The results demonstrate the feasibility

Human serum albumin (HSA) is an intrinsic protein and important carrier that transports endogenous as well as exogenous substances across cell membranes. Herein, we have designed and prepared resveratrol (RV)-loaded HSA nanoparticles conjugating RGD (arginine-glycine-aspartate) via a polyethylene glycol (PEG) "bridge" (HRP-RGD NPs) for highly effective targeted pancreatic tumor therapy. HRP-RGD NPs possess an average size of 120 ± 2.6 nm with a narrow distribution, a homodisperse spherical shape, a RV encapsulation efficiency of 62.5 ± 4.21%, and a maximum RV release ratio of 58.4.2 ± 2.8% at pH 5.0 and 37 °C. In vitro biocompatibility of RV is improved after coating with HSA and PEG. Confocal fluorescence images show that HRP-RGD NPs have the highest cellular uptake ratio of 47.3 ± 4.6% compared to HRP NPs and HRP-RGD NPs with free RGD blocking, attributing to an RGD-mediated effect. A cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay indicates that HRP-RGD NPs without RV (HP-RGD NPs) have nearly no cytotoxicity, but HRP-RGD NPs are significantly more cytotoxic to PANC-1 cells compared to free RV and HRP NPs in a concentration dependent manner, showing apoptotic morphology. Furthermore, with a formulated PEG and HSA coating, HRP-RGD NPs prolong the blood circulation of RV, increasing approximately 5.43-fold (t1/2). After intravenous injection into tumor-bearing mice, the content of HRP-RGD NPs in tumor tissue was proven to be approximately 3.01- and 8.1-fold higher than that of HRP NPs and free RV, respectively. Based on these results, HRP-RGD NPs were used in an in vivo anti-cancer study and demonstrated the best tumor growth suppression effect of all tested drugs with no relapse, high in vivo biocompatibility, and no significant systemic toxicity over 35 days treatment. These results demonstrate that HRP-RGD NPs with prolonged blood circulation and improved biocompatibility have high anti-cancer effects with promising future applications in cancer therapy.

Full Text Available Ji Jun, Ji Shang-Yi, Yang Jian-An, He Xia, Yang Xiao-Han, Ling Wen-Ping, Chen Xiao-LingDepartment of Pathology and Cardiovascular Surgery, Shenzhen Sun Yat-Sen Cardiovascular Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of ChinaBackground: There are more than 300,000 prosthetic heart valve replacements each year worldwide. These patients are faced with a higher risk of thromboembolic events after heart valve surgery and long-term or even life-long anticoagulative and antiplatelet therapies are necessary. Some severe complications such as hemorrhaging or rebound thrombosis can occur when the therapy ceases. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA is a thrombolytic agent. One of the best strategies is gene therapy, which offers a local high expression of t-PA over a prolonged time period to avoid both systemic hemorrhaging and local rebound thrombosis. There are some issues with t-PA that need to be addressed: currently, there is no up-to-date report on how the t-PA gene targets the heart in vivo and the gene vector for t-PA needs to be determined.Aims: To fabricate an albumin nano-t-PA gene ultrasound-targeted agent and investigate its targeting effect on prevention of thrombosis after heart mechanic valve replacement under therapeutic ultrasound.Methods: A dog model of mechanical tricuspid valve replacement was constructed. A highly expressive t-PA gene plasmid was constructed and packaged by nanoparticles prepared with bovine serum albumin. This nanopackaged t-PA gene plasmid was further cross-linked to ultrasonic microbubbles prepared with sucrose and bovine serum albumin to form the ultrasonic-targeted agent for t-PA gene transfection. The agent was given intravenously followed by a therapeutic ultrasound treatment (1 MHz, 1.5 w/cm2, 10 minutes of the heart soon after valve replacement had been performed. The expression of t-PA in myocardium was detected with multiclonal antibodies to t-PA by the indirect immunohistochemical method

In this study, we investigated the interaction between five biorelevant molecules and citrate-capped gold nanoparticles using dynamic light scattering, ζ-potential analysis, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The five biomolecules are bovine serum albumin (BSA), two immunoglobulin G (IgG) proteins, immunoglobulin M (IgM), and a polysaccharide molecule, hyaluronan. BSA, IgG, and IgM are high abundance proteins in blood. Hyaluronan is a major component of the extracellular matrix. An abnormal level of hyaluronan in blood is associated with a number of medical conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and malignancy. Five different interaction modes were observed from these molecules. While BSA and IgM interact with the gold nanoparticles by forming electrostatic interactions with the citrate ligands, IgG and hyaluronan adsorb to the nanoparticle metal core by displacing the citrate ligands. BSA, rabbit IgG, and hyaluronan formed a stable monolayer on the nanoparticle surface. Human IgG and IgM caused nanoparticle cluster formation upon interacting with the gold nanoparticles. For the first time, we discovered that hyaluronan, a highly negatively charged polyglycosaminoglycan, exhibits an exceptionally strong affinity toward the citrate-gold nanoparticles. It can effectively compete with IgG to adsorb to the gold nanoparticles. This finding has exciting implications for future research: the molecular composition of a protein corona formed on a nanoparticle surface upon mixing the nanoparticle with blood or other biological fluids may vary according to the pathological conditions of individuals, and the analysis of these compositions could potentially lead to new biomarker discovery with diagnostic applications.

In this study, the in vitro uptake by fibroblasts and in vivo biodistribution of 15 nm 11-mercaptoundecanoicacid-protected gold nanoparticles (AuNPs-MUA) and 3 nm glutathione- and 3 nm bovine serum albumin-protected gold nanoclusters (AuNCs@GSH and AuNCs@BSA, respectively) were evaluated. In vitro cell viability was examined after gold nanoparticle treatment for 48 h, based on MTT assays and analyses of morphological structure, the cycle cell, cellular doubling time, and the gold concentration in cells. No potential toxicity was observed at any studied concentration (up to 10 ppm) for AuNCs@GSH and AuNCs@BSA, whereas lower cell viability was observed for AuNPs-MUA at 10 ppm than for other treatments. Neither morphological damage nor modifications to the cell cycle and doubling time were detected after contact with nanoparticles. Associations between cells and AuNPs and AuNCs were demonstrated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). AuNCs@GSH exhibited fluorescence emission at 611 nm, whereas AuNCs@BSA showed a band at 640 nm. These properties were employed to confirm their associations with cells by fluorescence confocal microscopy; both clusters were observed in cells and maintained their original fluorescence. In vivo assays were performed using 9 male mice treated with 1.70 μg Au/g body weight gold nanoparticles for 24 h. ICP-MS measurements showed a different biodistribution for each type of nanoparticle; AuNPs-MUA mainly accumulated in the brain, AuNCs@GSH in the kidney, and AuNCs@BSA in the liver and spleen. Spleen indexes were not affected by nanoparticle treatment; however, AuNCs@BSA increased the thymus index significantly from 1.28 to 1.79, indicating an immune response. These nanoparticles have great potential as organ-specific drug carriers and for diagnosis, photothermal therapy, and imaging.

A commercially available super absorbent polymer from Hoechst (Sanwet IM-5000-SG) was tested for the concentration of dilute solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA). A systematic study was undertaken in order to evaluate the possibility of scaling-up the process. The polymer was first characterized by determining the swelling ratio (or mass increase) in aqueous solution as a function of time, temperature, pH, salt and polymer concentration. The swelling ratio was found to be independent of the polymer concentration, temperature (range 15-50 degree C), and pH (range 4-10), but decreased significantly with an increase in NaCL concentration. The polymer was capable of absorbing as much as 300-times its own weight in water, when using the most favorable conditions (0 mM NaCL). BSA was concentrated up to 3.5-times when using the appropriate polymer concentration. The recovery of protein was around 100% for concentration factors below 2.0, but decreased for higher concentration factors. As expected from the characterization results, higher amounts of polymer were needed to concentrate BSA solutions with higher salt concentrations. The performance of the process improved when using lower concentration BSA solutions (0.15 to 0.5 mg ml-1). The initial volume (10 to 500 ml) had a slight effect on the process due to a decrease in the rate of the absorption process. The concentration factor was predicted from the NaCL and polymer concentrations through a semi empirical model.

A new fluorescent molecular probe 1 was designed and constructed by combining bovine serum albumin (BSA) and N,N‧-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine (salen). Stimulated by Zn2 +, tris, or EDTAH2Na2, the distance between BSA and salen was regulated, which was accompanied by an obvious change in the fluorescence intensity at 350 or 445 nm based on Förster resonance energy transfer. Moreover, based on the encoding binary digits in these inputs and outputs applying positive logic conventions, a monomolecular circuit integrating one OR, three NOT, and three YES gates, was successfully achieved.

The binding behaviours of a transport protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), in its native, unfolding and refolding states have been probed by monitoring the emission changes of two exogenous AIE-active fluorescent probes, M2 and M3, which are designed to be anionic and cationic, respectively. Due to their AIE properties, both M2 and M3 display emission enhancement when bound to the hydrophobic cavity of BSA. The binding site of M2 and M3 is found to be subdomain IIA. Then, the BSA + M2 and BSA + M3 systems are utilized to fluorescently signal the conformation changes of BSA caused by various external stimuli, including thermally or chemically induced denaturation. The data confirmed the multi-step unfolding process and the existence of a molten-globule intermediate state. The unfolding process consists of the rearrangement of subdomain IIA, the exposure of a negatively charged binding site in domain I that prefers interacting with cationic species, and the transformation of the molten-globule intermediate into the final random coil. The anionic and cationic modifications of the probes enable us to observe that electrostatic interactions play a role in the folding and unfolding of BSA.

Albumin represents a very abundant and important circulating antioxidant in plasma. In this paper, the ability of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical has been investigated using UV–vis absorption spectra. The result shows that the antioxidant activity of BSA against DPPH radical is similar to glutathione and the value of IC{sub 50} is 5.153×10{sup −5} mol L{sup −1}. The interaction between BSA and DPPH has been investigated without or with the eight popular antioxidants (L-ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, glutathione, melatonin, (+)-catechin hydrate, procyanidine B3, β-carotene and astaxanthin) by means of fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The fluorescence experiments show that DPPH quenches the fluorescence intensity of BSA through a static mechanism. The quenching process of DPPH with BSA is easily affected by the eight antioxidants, however, they cannot change the quenching mechanism of DPPH with BSA. Additionally, as shown by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and CD, DPPH may induce conformational and microenvironmental changes of BSA. - Highlights: • The antioxidant activity of BSA against DPPH is similar to glutathione. • DPPH can quench the fluorescence of BSA through a static quenching. • One molecule of DPPH radical reduced by one molecule of BSA. • The eight antioxidants cannot change the quenching mechanism of DPPH with BSA. • The binding parameters are decreased by the introduction of the eight antioxidants.

Conclusion: The outcomes of spectroscopic methods revealed that the conformation of BSA changed during drug-BSA interaction. The results of FRET propose that CPL quenches the fluorescence of BSA by static quenching and FRET. The displacement study showed that phenylbutazon and ketoprofen displaced CPL, indicating that its binding site on albumin is site I and Gentamicin cannot be displaced from the binding site of CPL. All results of molecular docking method agreed with the results of experimental data.

Full Text Available The binding characteristics of indigotin with human serum albumin (HSA and bovine serum albumin (BSA have been investigated by various spectroscopic techniques. Spectroscopic analysis revealed that the quenching mechanism between indigotin and HSA/BSA belonged to the static quenching. The displacement experiments suggested that indigotin primarily bound to tryptophan residues on proteins within site I. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the binding of indigotinâHSA/BSA mainly depended on the hydrophobic interaction. The binding distance of indigotin to HSA/BSA was evaluated. The results by synchronous fluorescence, three-dimensional fluorescence, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR and circular dichroism (CD spectra showed that the conformation of proteins altered in the presence of indigotin. Keywords: Human serum albumin, Bovine serum albumin, Indigotin, Fluorescence spectroscopy, Binding constants

Full Text Available proteins. This is a limitation to microfluidic applications that require hydrophobic surfaces where proteins are involved. This study determines the change in wetting of PDMS after fouling by a protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), by measuring contact...

The reversibility of the homomolecular exchange of bovine serum albumin (BSA) from AgI particles was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, the binding of 8-anilino-1-naphthaIene-sulfonic acid, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The structure of BSA in solution before adsorption, in the

The reversibility of the homomolecular exchange of bovine serum albumin (BSA) from AgI particles was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, the binding of 8-anilino-1-naphthalene-sulfonic acid, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The structure of BSA in solution before adsorption, in the

We have developed composite hydrogels of chitosan (CS) and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) in this study. The gelation rate, gel strength, drug delivery behavior and chondrocyte proliferation properties were investigated. The introduction of MSNs into CS accelerated the gelation process at body temperature and also increased the elastic modulus G′ from 1000 to 1800 Pa. When we used gentamicin (GS) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as model small chemical drugs and biomacromolecules, respectively, the CS/MSN hydrogels released GS and BSA in a sustained manner simultaneously, but the CS hydrogels only showed sustained BSA release. Furthermore, in vitro chondrocyte culture showed that the CS/MSN composite hydrogels indeed performed much better in supporting chondrocyte growth and maintaining chondrocytic phenotype compared to the CS hydrogels. Therefore, the results suggest that the CS/MSN composite hydrogels can be potentially very useful for cartilage regeneration. (paper)

Surface functionalization of zirconium dioxide (ZrO{sub 2}) nano-adsorbents was carried out by using 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) as the modifier. The addition amount of APTES was varied to determine the optimum modification extent, and the bulk ZrO{sub 2} microparticles were also modified by APTES for comparison. Some means, such as TEM, XRD, FT-IR, XPS and TG-DSC were used to character these ZrO{sub 2} particles. The results showed that the APTES molecules were chemically immobilized on the surface of ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles via Zr−O−Si bonds, and the nano-ZrO{sub 2} samples showed larger special surface area. In the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA), nano-ZrO{sub 2} samples exhibited enhanced adsorption activity, and APTES modified nano-ZrO{sub 2} with proper APTES content presented the best adsorption property. Under the same adsorption conditions, the equilibrium adsorption capacity of BSA on APTES-ZrO{sub 2}-2 was almost 2.3 times as that on pristine nano-ZrO{sub 2} and 3.0 times as on bulk ZrO{sub 2} microparticles. The increased adsorption capacity of APTES-ZrO{sub 2} nano-adsorbents can be attributed to the chemical interaction between amino and carboxyl groups at APTES-ZrO{sub 2}/BSA interface. The pH-dependent experiments showed that the optimum pH value for the adsorption and desorption was 5.0 and 9.0, respectively, which suggested that the adsorption and release of BSA could be controlled simply by adjusting the solution pH condition. - Highlights: • APTES chemically immobilized on ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles via Zr−O−Si bond. • Enhanced adsorption capacity of BSA was observed on APTES-ZrO{sub 2}. • Chemical adsorption character of BSA on APTES-ZrO{sub 2}. • Adsorption/release of BSA on APTES-ZrO{sub 2} accomplished by adjusting pH value.

A series of far-red sensitive symmetrical squaraine dyes bearing direct –COOH functionalized indole ring were synthesized, characterized and subjected to photophysical investigations. These symmetrical squaraine dyes were then subjected to investigate their interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in Phosphate buffer solutions. All the squaraine dyes under investigation exhibit intense and sharp optical absorption mainly in the far-red wavelength region from 550 nm -700 nm having very high molar extinction coefficients from 1.3 × 105 dm3.mol‑1.cm‑1. A very small Stokes shift of 10-17 nm indicates the rigid conformational structure of squaraine chromophore. Interaction of these dyes with BSA leads to not only enhanced emission intensity but also bathochromically shifted absorption maximum due to formation of dye-BSA conjugate. These dyes bind strongly with BSA having about an order of magnitude higher binding constant as compared to the reported squaraine dyes. Amongst the symmetrical squaraine dyes investigated in this work one bearing substituents like trifluorobutyl as alkyl chain at N-position of indole ring and carboxylic acid on benzene ring at the terminal (SQ-26) exhibited highest association with the BSA having very high binding constant 8.01 × 106 M‑1.

Previously we have shown that (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can induce nonapoptotic cell death in human hepatoma HepG 2 cells only under serum-free condition. However, the underlying mechanism for serum in determining the cell fate remains to be answered. The effects of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and its major component bovine serum albumin (BSA) on EGCG-induced cell death were investigated in this study. It was found that BSA, just like FBS, can protect cells from EGCG-induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Detailed analysis revealed that both FBS and BSA inhibited generation of ROS to protect against toxicity of EGCG. Furthermore, EGCG was shown to bind to certain cellular proteins including caspase-3, PARP, and α -tubulin, but not LC3 nor β -actin, which formed EGCG-protein complexes that were inseparable by SDS-gel. On the other hand, addition of FBS or BSA to culture medium can block the binding of EGCG to these proteins. In silico docking analysis results suggested that BSA had a stronger affinity to EGCG than the other proteins. Taken together, these data indicated that the protective effect of FBS and BSA against EGCG-induced cell death could be due to (1) the decreased generation of ROS and (2) the competitive binding of BSA to EGCG.

A multi-(amino acid) copolymer (MAC) based on ω-aminocaproic acid, γ-aminobutyric acid, L-alanine, L-lysine, L-glutamate, and hydroxyproline was synthetized, and MAC microspheres encapsulating bovine serum albumin (BSA) were prepared by a double-emulsion solvent extraction method. The experimental results show that various preparation parameters including surfactant ratio of Tween 80 to Span 80, surfactant concentration, benzyl alcohol in the external water phase, and polymer concentration had obvious effects on the particle size, morphology, and encapsulation efficiency of the BSA-loaded microspheres. The sizes of BSA-loaded microspheres ranged from 60.2 μm to 79.7 μm, showing different degrees of porous structure. The encapsulation efficiency of BSA-loaded microspheres also ranged from 38.8% to 50.8%. BSA release from microspheres showed the classic biphasic profile, which was governed by diffusion and polymer erosion. The initial burst release of BSA from microspheres at the first week followed by constant slow release for the next 7 weeks were observed. BSA-loaded microspheres could degrade gradually in phosphate buffered saline buffer with pH value maintained at around 7.1 during 8 weeks incubation, suggesting that microsphere degradation did not cause a dramatic pH drop in phosphate buffered saline buffer because no acidic degradation products were released from the microspheres. Therefore, the MAC microspheres might have great potential as carriers for protein delivery. PMID:24855351

Full Text Available Calcification is a detrimental process in vascular ageing and in diseases such as atherosclerosis and arthritis. In particular, small calcium phosphate (CaP crystal deposits are associated with inflammation and atherosclerotic plaque de-stabilisation. We previously reported that CaP particles caused human vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC death and that serum reduced the toxic effects of the particles. Here, we found that the serum proteins fetuin-A and albumin (≥ 1 µM reduced intracellular Ca2+ elevations and cell death in VSMCs in response to CaP particles. In addition, CaP particles functionalised with fetuin-A, but not albumin, were less toxic than naked CaP particles. Electron microscopic studies revealed that CaP particles were internalised in different ways; via macropinocytosis, membrane invagination or plasma membrane damage, which occurred within 10 minutes of exposure to particles. However, cell death did not occur until approximately 30 minutes, suggesting that plasma membrane repair and survival mechanisms were activated. In the presence of fetuin-A, CaP particle-induced damage was inhibited and CaP/plasma membrane interactions and particle uptake were delayed. Fetuin-A also reduced dissolution of CaP particles under acidic conditions, which may contribute to its cytoprotective effects after CaP particle exposure to VSMCs. These studies are particularly relevant to the calcification observed in blood vessels in patients with kidney disease, where circulating levels of fetuin-A and albumin are low, and in pathological situations where CaP crystal formation outweighs calcification-inhibitory mechanisms.

Little is understood regarding the impact that molecular coatings have on nanoparticle dissolution kinetics and agglomerate formation in a dilute nanoparticle dispersion. Dissolution and agglomeration processes compete in removing isolated nanoparticles from the dispersion, making quantitative time-dependent measurements of the mechanisms of nanoparticle loss particularly challenging. In this article, we present in situ ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) results, simultaneously quantifying dissolution, agglomeration, and stability limits of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein. When the BSA corona is disrupted, we find that the loss of silver from the nanoparticle core is well matched by a second-order kinetic rate reaction, arising from the oxidative dissolution of silver. Dissolution and agglomeration are quantified, and morphological transitions throughout the process are qualified. By probing the BSA-AgNP suspension around its stability limits, we provide insight into the destabilization mechanism by which individual particles rapidly dissolve as a whole rather than undergo slow dissolution from the aqueous interface inward, once the BSA layer is breached. Because USAXS rapidly measures over the entire nanometer to micrometer size range during the dissolution process, many insights are also gained into the stabilization of NPs by protein and its ability to protect the labile metal core from the solution environment by prohibiting the diffusion of reactive species. This approach can be extended to a wide variety of coating molecules and reactive metal nanoparticle systems to carefully survey their stability limits, revealing the likely mechanisms of coating breakdown and ensuing reactions.

The cytotoxicity of silica nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated in the human lung cell line, A549. Silica NPs of different sizes (DLS size; 16-42 nm) were used to determine appropriate dose metrics whereas the effect of the NP corona was tested by coating the NPs with bovine serum albumin (BSA......). The NPs were characterized by TEM and DLS as monodisperse and non-aggregated in solution and the NP suspensions were free of metal and endotoxin impurities as tested by ICP-MS and the LAL test. Cellular uptake and binding of the silica NPs was indirectly assessed by flow cytometry side scatter and SEM...... upon silica NP exposure. The silica NP surface area was found to be the best dose metric for predicting cytotoxicity and IL-8 release. Generally, the NPs were only cytotoxic at high concentrations and BSA-coating of the NPs significantly decreased the cytotoxicity and cellular IL-8 secretion. All...

Full Text Available The binding interaction between tetra-(p-sulfoazophenyl-4-aminosulfonyl-substituted aluminum (III phthalocyanine (AlPc, and two-serum albumins (bovine serum albumin (BSA and human serum albumin (HSA has been investigated. AlPc could quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA and HSA through a static quenching process. The primary and secondary binding sites of AlPc on BSA were domain I and III of BSA. The primary binding site of AlPc on HSA was domain I, and the secondary binding sites of AlPc on HSA were found at domains I and II. Our results suggest that AlPc readily interact with BSA and HSA implying that the amphiphilic substituents AlPc may contribute to their transportation in the blood.

We have developed a simple, low-cost, paper-based probe for the selective colorimetric detection of copper ions (Cu(2+)) in aqueous solutions. The bovine serum albumin (BSA)-modified 13.3-nm Au nanoparticle (BSA-Au NP) probe was designed to detect Cu(2+) ions using lead ions (Pb(2+)) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) as leaching agents in a glycine-NaOH (pH 12.0) solution. In addition, a nitrocellulose membrane (NCM) was used to trap the BSA-Au NPs, leading to the preparation of a nanocomposite film consisting of a BSA-Au NP-decorated membrane (BSA-Au NPs/NCM). The BSA-Au NPs probe operates on the principle that Cu deposition on the surface of the BSA-Au NPs inhibits their leaching ability, which is accelerated by Pb(2+) ions in the presence of 2-ME. Under optimal solution conditions (5 mM glycine-NaOH (pH 12.0), Pb(2+) (50 μM), and 2-ME (1.0 M)), the Pb(2+)/2-ME-BSA-Au NPs/NCM enabled the detection of Cu(2+) at nanomolar concentrations in aqueous solutions by the naked eye with high selectivity (at least 100-fold over other metal ions). In addition, this cost-effective probe allowed for the rapid and simple determination of Cu(2+) ions in not only natural water samples but also in a complex biological sample (in this case, blood sample).

Full Text Available A simple biomolecule-assisted solution route was developed to synthesize Bovine Serum Albumin-conjugated copper sulfide (CuS/BSA nanocomposites, directly using copper salts and thioacetamide (TAA as the starting materials with a zwitterionic surfactant Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA as foaming and stabilizing agent. The CuS/BSA nanocomposites have been characterized by UV, TEM, Zeta, DLS, XRD, and FTIR. The results indicate that the as-prepared CuS/BSA nanocomposites are approximate sphere with a size distribution from 10 to 35 nm in diameter and good dispersibility, depending highly on concentration of BSA concentration. These protein-assisted synthesized nanocomposites have a great potential application in biomedical engineering and microelectronics.

Raman and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy were employed to probe the interaction of the flavonol drugs, kaempferol and galangin, with human serum albumin (HSA). SERS spectra of both flavonol derivatives were obtained from a colloidal silver surface in physiological condition, based on the high performance of the enhanced substrate, the most enhanced modes of kaempferol and galangin were those with certain motions perpendicular to the metal surface. The SERS spectra were allowed to predict similar orientation geometry for both of the drugs on the colloidal surface with minor difference. In addition, both flavonols-HSA complexes were prepared in different concentration ratios and the orientated differences between kaempferol and galangin were investigated by SERS.

Highlights: ► Nitrite enhanced the photo-damage by ZnO nanoparticles to BSA and HaCaT cells. ► Protein nitration was induced by nitrite in photo-damaged BSA and HaCaT cells. ► The effects of photo-damage on BSA were affected by various factors. ► 50-nm ZnO induced more apoptosis than 90-nm ZnO in HaCaT cells. -- Abstract: Zinc oxide nanoparticles are widely used in sunscreen products because of their chemical stability and capability of blocking harmful ultraviolet rays. However, zinc oxide nanoparticles can also generate reactive species under ultraviolet irradiation. Because nitrite can form reactive nitrogen species under oxidative stress and because it exists in perspiration and cosmetics, we studied the effects of nitrites on the photocatalytic damage of zinc oxide nanoparticles (50 nm and 90 nm) to bovine serum albumin and human keratinocyte cells under ultraviolet irradiation (365 nm and 254 nm). The results indicate that nitrite plays an enhancing role in photocatalytic damage by breaking amino acid residues and promoting protein oxidation and nitration. The concentrations of zinc oxide and nitrite, the irradiation light and duration, and the pH of the medium are important factors influencing this photocatalytic damage. Size effects of ZnO nanoparticles on bovine serum albumin and keratinocyte cells are different. It is speculated that the extent of photo-damage is partially dependent on the aggregation of zinc oxide. These findings may be valuable for understanding potential risks of applying zinc oxide nanoparticle-containing sunscreens to human skin under sunlight exposure.

The interaction mechanism of multiple quaternary ammonium salts (MQAS) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was examined by the fluorescence quenching method and circular dichroism (CD) spectra. Moreover, the effects of MQAS on the dynamic properties of BSA adsorption layers at different pH values were investigated using dilational interfacial rheology. Results show that the quenching constants increase with an increase in pH values and decrease with an increase in the experiment temperature at pH 5.3. The quenching mechanism is static quenching, and the electrostatic force dominates the interaction between MQAS and BSA at pH 5.3. Due to three positive head groups, MQAS can significantly affect the dynamic interfacial activity of BSA molecules at a relatively low concentration. At pH 4.3, the electrostatic repulsion is unfavorable for the formation of MQAS/BSA complexes. Consequently, MQAS molecules will replace BSA molecules from the interface by competitive adsorption. At the pH value above the isoelectric point of BSA, the electrostatic attraction is better for the formation of MQAS/BSA complexes, which exhibit a rapid adsorption rate and an enhanced interfacial activity. Moreover, the kinetic dependencies of interfacial dilational elasticity for the MQAS/BSA mixtures become nonmonotonous. The appearance of the maximum interfacial elasticity values can be attributed to the formation of tails and loops, which suggests that the addition of MQAS destroys the secondary and tertiary structure of protein in the bulk phase. In addition, the effects of MQAS on the secondary structure of protein were demonstrated by CD spectra.

The interaction between antiepileptic drug, gabapentin (GP), and bovin serum albumin (BSA) was studied by spectroscopic and computational methods. The native fluorescence of BSA was quenched by GP. Stern–Volmer quenching constant was calculated at different temperatures which suggested a static mechanism. The association constant (K{sub a}) was calculated from fluorescence quenching studies, which increased with temperature rising. GP competed well with warfarine for hydrophobic subdomain IIA (Sudlow's site I) on the protein. Enthalpy and entropy changes during the interaction of GP with BSA were obtained using van't Hoff plot, which showed an entropy-driven process and involvement of hydrophobic forces (ΔH>0 and ΔS>0). Synchronous fluorescence measurements of BSA solution in the presence of GP showed a considerable blue shift when Δλ=15 nm, therefore, GP interacts with tyrosine-rich sites on BSA. Optimized docked model of BSA–GP mixture confirmed the experimental results. -- Highlights: • Interaction of gabapentin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) is investigated by spectroscopic techniques. • Gabapentin can quench the fluorescence of BSA through a static quenching procedure. • The binding of gabapentin to BSA is driven mainly by hydrophobic interactions. • Subdomain IIA (Sudlow's site I) of BSA is found to be the main binding site for gabapentin. • Molecular docking modeling confirmed the experimental results.

The adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to a chromatography resin with immobilised llama antibody fragments as affinity ligands was investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity of the affinity resin was 21.6 mg mL-1 with a Langmuir equilibrium constant of 20.4 mg mg-1. Using packed bed

The binding sites for phenylbutazone and colchicine were identified in tertiary structure of bovine and human serum albumin with the use of spectrofluorescence analysis. It was found that phenylbutazone has two binding sites in both sera albumins (HSA and BSA), while colchicine has one binding site in BSA as well as in HSA. The comparison of the quenching effect of BSA and HSA fluorescence by phenylbutazone and colchicine allows us to identify subdomain IIA in protein as the binding site for these two drugs. In this subdomain tryptophan 214 is located. The participation of tyrosyl and tryptophanyl residues of protein was also estimated in the drug-albumin complex. The comparison of quenching of fluorescence of HSA and BSA excited at 280 nm with that at 295 nm allowed us to state that the participation of tyrosyl residues of albumin in the phenylbutazone-serum albumin interaction is significant. The analysis of quenching of fluorescence of BSA in the binary and ternary systems showed that phenylbutazone does not affect the complex formed between colchicine and BSA. Similarly, colchicine has no effect on the Phe-BSA complex. However marked differences were observed for the complex with HSA. On the basis of Ka and KQ values it was concluded that colchicine may probably cause displacement of phenylbutazone from its complex with serum albumin (SA). Static and dynamic quenching for the binary and ternary systems is also discussed. The competition of phenylbutazone and colchicine in binding to serum albumin should be taken into account in the multi-drug therapy.

4-Aminoantipyrine (AAP) is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, in biochemical experiments and in environmental monitoring. AAP as an aromatic pollutant in the environment poses a great threat to human health. To evaluate the toxicity of AAP at the protein level, the effects of AAP on bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated by multiple spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling. After the inner filter effect was eliminated, the experimental results showed that AAP effectively quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA via static quenching. The number of binding sites, the binding constant, the thermodynamic parameters and binding subdomain were measured, and indicated that AAP could spontaneously bind with BSA on subdomain IIIA through electrostatic forces. Molecular docking results revealed that AAP interacted with the Glu 488 and Glu 502 residues of BSA. Furthermore, the conformation of BSA was demonstrably changed in the presence of AAP. The skeletal structure of BSA loosened, exposing internal hydrophobic aromatic ring amino acids and peptide strands to the solution.

2-Mercaptothiazoline (MTZ) is widely utilized as a brightening and stabilization agent, corrosion inhibitor and antifungal reagent. The residue of MTZ in the environment is potentially hazardous to human health. In this study, the binding mode of MTZ with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated using spectroscopic and molecular docking methods under physiological conditions. MTZ could spontaneously bind with BSA through hydrogen bond and van der Waals interactions with one binding site. The site marker displacement experiments and the molecular docking revealed that MTZ bound into site II (subdomain IIIA) of BSA, which further resulted in some backbone structures and microenvironmental changes of BSA. This work is helpful for understanding the transportation, distribution and toxicity effects of MTZ in blood. - Highlights: • The mechanism was explored by multiple spectroscopic and molecular docking methods. • MTZ can spontaneously bind with BSA at subdomain IIIA (site II). • MTZ can lead to some conformational changes of BSA.

Four types of nanoparticles with core-diffuse shell structures have been synthesized through self-assembly of PICBA-Dextran block copolymers. These nanoparticles are designed to carry pharmaceutically active molecules into the human body through injection into the blood stream. In this work, we have determined how the characteristics of the diffuse shell influence the adsorption of three types of proteins: Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), fibrinogen, and a protein from the complement system that triggers recognition and elimination by macrophages. We have determined the structural characteristics of the diffuse shells using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) and Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering (QELS). We have measured the adsorption of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) through Immunodiffusion methods, and found that it adsorbed in substantial amounts even when the distance between dextran chains at the core-diffuse shell interface is quite short. We have observed the aggregation of the nanoparticles induced by fibrinogen, and found that it was prevented when the density of dextran chains protruding from the core surface was sufficiently high. Finally we have measured the activation of the complement system by the nanoparticles, and found that it was also limited by the surface density of dextran chains that protrude from the core and by their mesh size within the diffuse shell. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The aim of our study was to investigate the protective effects of Paeoniflorin (PF) against injury induced by AGE-modified bovine serum albumin (AGE-BSA) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and to examine the underlying mechanisms of these effects. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine cell viability. Protein expression levels were determined by western blotting. For function-blocking experiments, we used small interfering RNA molecules (siRNA) for function-blocking experiments. At 6 h, we found that 100 μg/mL AGE-BSA reduced the viability of HUVECs. However, pretreatment with PF restored cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. AGE-BSA increased the levels of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3-II (LC3-II) and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Expression of p62 protein was also increased, but not at a statistically significant level. Pretreatment with PF further increased levels of LC3-II and RAGE, but reduced the expression of p62. In cells transfected with Atg5 and RAGE siRNA, cell viability and expression of LC3-II decreased in both the AGE-BSA and PF + AGE-BSA treatments. PF can protect HUVECs from AGE-BSA-induced injury by upregulating autophagy and promoting the completion of autophagy flux. RAGE plays an important role in this autophagic protection effect.

In this work, we present a mathematical-computational model developed to estimate the relative position of ligand binding sites in HSA and BSA, based on the theory of fluorescence quenching, considering the molecular and spectrofluorimetric differences and similarities between these two albumins. Albumin is the largest and the most abundant serum protein in vertebrates. The ability to bind xenobiotics makes albumin important to the bioavailability and effectiveness of drugs.

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements have been carried out from the multicomponent system composed of Ludox HS40 silica nanoparticle, bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein, and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant in an aqueous system under the solution condition that all the components are negatively charged. Although the components are similarly charged, strong structural evolutions among them have been observed. The complexes of different components in pairs (nanoparticle-protein, nanoparticle-surfactant, and protein-surfactant) have been examined to correlate the role of each component in the three-component nanoparticle-protein-surfactant system. The nanoparticle-protein system shows depletion interaction induced aggregation of nanoparticles in the presence of protein. Both nanoparticle and surfactant coexist individually in a nanoparticle-surfactant system. In the case of a protein-surfactant system, the cooperative binding of surfactant with protein leads to micelle-like clusters of surfactant formed along the unfolded protein chain. The structure of the three-component (nanoparticle-protein-surfactant) system is found to be governed by the synergetic effect of nanoparticle-protein and protein-surfactant interactions. The nanoparticle aggregates coexist with the structures of protein-surfactant complex in the three-component system. The nanoparticle aggregation as well as unfolding of protein is enhanced in this system as compared to the corresponding two-component systems.

Functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown great promise in several biomedical contexts, spanning from drug delivery to tissue regeneration. Thanks to their unique size-related properties, single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) are particularly interesting in these fields. However, their use in nanomedicine requires a clear demonstration of their safety in terms of tissue damage, toxicity and pro-inflammatory response. Thus, a better understanding of the cytotoxicity mechanisms, the cellular interactions and the effects that these materials have on cell survival and on biological membranes is an important first step for an appropriate assessment of their biocompatibility. In this study we show how bovine serum albumin (BSA) is able to generate homogeneous and stable dispersions of SWCNTs (BSA-CNTs), suggesting their possible use in the biomedical field. On the other hand, this study wishes to shed more light on the impact and the interactions of protein-stabilized SWCNTs with two different cell types exploiting multidisciplinary techniques. We show that BSA-CNTs are efficiently taken up by cells. We also attempt to describe the effect that the interaction with cells has on the dielectric characteristics of the plasma membrane and ion flux using electrorotation. We then focus on the BSA-CNTs’ acute toxicity using different cellular models. The novel aspect of this work is the evaluation of the membrane alterations that have been poorly investigated to date.

The sample preparation of samples containing bovine serum albumin (BSA), e.g., as used in transdermal Franz diffusion cell (FDC) solutions, was evaluated using an analytical quality-by-design (QbD) approach. Traditional precipitation of BSA by adding an equal volume of organic solvent, often successfully used with conventional HPLC-PDA, was found insufficiently robust when novel fused-core HPLC and/or UPLC-MS methods were used. In this study, three factors (acetonitrile (%), formic acid (%) and boiling time (min)) were included in the experimental design to determine an optimal and more suitable sample treatment of BSA-containing FDC solutions. Using a QbD and Derringer desirability ( D ) approach, combining BSA loss, dilution factor and variability, we constructed an optimal working space with the edge of failure defined as D <0.9. The design space is modelled and is confirmed to have an ACN range of 83±3% and FA content of 1±0.25%.

Lotus leaf has gained growing popularity as an ingredient in herbal formulations due to its various activities. As main functional components of lotus leaf, the difference in structure of flavonoids affected their binding properties and activities. In this paper, the existence of 11 flavonoids in lotus leaf extract was confirmed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis and 11 flavonoids showed various contents in lotus leaf. The interactions between lotus leaf extract and two kinds of serum albumins (human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA)) were investigated by spectroscopic methods. Based on the fluorescence quenching, the interactions between these flavonoids and serum albumins were further checked in detail. The relationship between the molecular properties of flavonoids and their affinities for serum albumins were analyzed and compared. The hydroxylation on 3 and 3' position increased the affinities for serum albumins. Moreover, both of the methylation on 3' position of quercetin and the C₂=C₃ double bond of apigenin and quercetin decreased the affinities for HSA and BSA. The glycosylation lowered the affinities for HSA and BSA depending on the type of sugar moiety. It revealed that the hydrogen bond force played an important role in binding flavonoids to HSA and BSA.

Platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs) with sizes in the range from 10 to 30 nm were synthesized using protein-directed one-pot reduction. The model globular protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) was exploited as the template, and the resulting BSA/Pt-NPs were studied by transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and resonance Rayleigh scattering spectroscopy. The modified nanoparticles display a peroxidase-like activity that was exploited in a rapid method for the colorimetric determination of hydrogen peroxide which can be detected in the 50 μM to 3 mM concentration range. The limit of detection is 7.9 μM, and the lowest concentration that can be visually detected is 200 μM. (author)

The present study aimed to investigate the influence of albumin structure and gold speciation on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). The strategy of synthesis was the addition of HAuCl4 solutions at different pH values (3-12) to solutions of human and bovine serum albumins (HSA and BSA) at the same corresponding pH values. Different pH values influence the GNP synthesis due to gold speciation. Besides the inherent effect of pH on the native structure of albumins, the use N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-treated and heat-denaturated forms of HSA and BSA provided additional insights about the influence of protein structure, net charge, and thiol group approachability on the GNP synthesis. NEM treatment, heating, and the extreme values of pH promoted loss of the native albumin structure. The formation of GNPs indicated by the appearance of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands became detectable from 15 days of the synthesis processes that were carried out with native, NEM-treated and heat-denaturated forms of HSA and BSA, exclusively at pH 6 and 7. After 2 months of incubation, SPR band was also detected for all synthesis carried out at pH 8.0. The mean values of the hydrodynamic radius (RH) were 24 and 34 nm for GNPs synthesized with native HSA and BSA, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed crystallites of 13 nm. RH, XRD, and zeta potential values were consistent with GNP capping by the albumins. However, the GNPs produced with NEM-treated and heat-denaturated albumins exhibited loss of protein capping by lowering the ionic strength. This result suggests a significant contribution of non-electrostatic interactions of albumins with the GNP surface, in these conditions. The denaturation of proteins exposes hydrophobic groups to the solvent, and these groups could interact with the gold surface. In these conditions, the thiol blockage or oxidation, the latter probably favored upon heating, impaired the formation of a stable capping by thiol coordination with the

Graphical abstract: A new single Valen Shiff base was synthesized and characterized. The thermodynamics properties of the Shiff base were investigated by microcalorimetry. In particular, the interaction between the synthetic Shiff base and BSA at four different temperatures has been investigated using fluorescence quenching method. - Highlights: • A new single Valen Shiff base was synthesized and characterized. • The thermodynamics properties of the Shiff base were investigated by microcalorimetry. • The interaction between the Shiff base and BSA has been investigated using fluorescence quenching method. - Abstract: A new Valen Shiff base (C{sub 22}H{sub 24}N{sub 4}O{sub 5}) was synthesized using equivalent moles of o-vanillin and trimethoprim. At 298.15 K, the standard molar enthalpy of formation of the new compound was estimated to be Δ{sub f}H{sub m}{sup Θ} [C{sub 22}H{sub 24}N{sub 4}O{sub 5}(s), 298.15 K] = −(696.92 ± 1.67) kJ mol{sup −1} by microcalorimetry. In particular, the interaction between the Shiff base and bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been investigated. It was proved that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by Shiff base is a result of the formation of a Shiff base-BSA complex. Quenching constants were determined using the Sterns–Volmer equation to provide a measurement of the binding site between Shiff base and BSA. The thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS of the system at different temperatures were calculated. What is more, the distance r between donor (Trp. 213) and acceptor (Shiff base) was obtained. Finally, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy data has suggested the association between Shiff base and BSA changed the molecular conformation of BSA.

Graphical abstract: A new single Valen Shiff base was synthesized and characterized. The thermodynamics properties of the Shiff base were investigated by microcalorimetry. In particular, the interaction between the synthetic Shiff base and BSA at four different temperatures has been investigated using fluorescence quenching method. - Highlights: • A new single Valen Shiff base was synthesized and characterized. • The thermodynamics properties of the Shiff base were investigated by microcalorimetry. • The interaction between the Shiff base and BSA has been investigated using fluorescence quenching method. - Abstract: A new Valen Shiff base (C 22 H 24 N 4 O 5 ) was synthesized using equivalent moles of o-vanillin and trimethoprim. At 298.15 K, the standard molar enthalpy of formation of the new compound was estimated to be Δ f H m Θ [C 22 H 24 N 4 O 5 (s), 298.15 K] = −(696.92 ± 1.67) kJ mol −1 by microcalorimetry. In particular, the interaction between the Shiff base and bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been investigated. It was proved that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by Shiff base is a result of the formation of a Shiff base-BSA complex. Quenching constants were determined using the Sterns–Volmer equation to provide a measurement of the binding site between Shiff base and BSA. The thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS of the system at different temperatures were calculated. What is more, the distance r between donor (Trp. 213) and acceptor (Shiff base) was obtained. Finally, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy data has suggested the association between Shiff base and BSA changed the molecular conformation of BSA

Previously, it has been reported that a novel PepGel (h9e peptide) can be triggered into a solid physical hydrogel by the addition of selected ions and proteins for various biomedical applications. Moreover, PepGel displays shear-thinning and repeatedly reversible sol-gel transfer properties that enable it to be easily transferred via an injector. In this study, PepGel is proposed as a carrier for controlled releases of bovine serum albumin (BSA)-bound or -linked drugs. BSA-linked cisplatin (BSA-CP) is used as a model drug in this study and plays two roles: as a trigger of hydrogel and as a target drug for controlled release. Results of fluorescence instrument show that PepGel significantly quenches the fluorescence of Trp in the hydrophobic subdomain of BSA, indicating a strong interaction. Images of TEM and fluorescence confocal microscopy indicate that BSA-CP is dispersed in the PepGel fibers and at the same time enhances the fiber aggregation. Through UV instrument, it is found that PepGel can effectively inhibit the diffusion of BSA-CP even at concentrations below 0.3 wt% and that the rate of BSA-CP release could be controlled by adjusting the concentration of PepGel. Cell culture studies on the performance of the PepGel are carried out using HeLa cells, and the cell viability is observed to be consistent with the data of drug release. The results showed that PepGel nanofiber scaffolds could potentially be used as an effective carrier for controlled releases of BSA-bound or -linked drugs.

BSA adsorption onto bimodal PEO brushes at a solid surface was measured using optical reflectometry. Bimodal brushes consist of long (N = 770) and short (N = 48) PEO chains and were prepared on PS surfaces, applying mixtures of PS29-PEO48 and PS37-PEO770 block copolymers and using the

BSA adsorption onto bimodal PEO brushes at a solid surface was measured using optical reflectometry. Bimodal brushes consist of long (N=770) and short (N=48) PEO chains and were prepared on PS surfaces, applying mixtures of PS 29-PEO48 and PS37-PEO770 block copolymers and using the Langmuir-Blodgett

Recombinant albumin can be used to supplement culture medium for the maturation and fertilization of bovine oocytes and subsequent embryo development to the blastocyst stage. Recombinant albumin was able to support blastocyst development at rates equivalent to that of bovine serum albumin (BSA) supplemented media. Supplementation of media containing recombinant albumin and citrate stimulated blastocyst expansion. Culture with recombinant albumin and citrate significantly increased the ability of the resultant blastocysts to re-expand and hatch following cryopreservation. The further addition of the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan to the culture medium containing either BSA or recombinant albumin also increased the ability of blastocysts to survive cryopreservation. Inclusion of recombinant albumin and hyaluronan in culture media facilitates the development of physiological defined culture conditions. For bovine embryos this has implications for both research and commercial applications where defined reproducible conditions are desirable. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Phyllanthus emblica, commonly referred to as 'Indian gooseberry' or 'Amla' is used both as medicine and astonic to build up vitality and vigor. It is one of the constituent of a popular Ayurvedic formulation Triphala churna. Literature shows that there is increasing interest in exploring drugs obtained from plants with a high content of tannins. Tannins, polyphenolic compounds of various molecular weights are found abundantly in nature and have the ability to precipitate proteins. The study aims at quantification of the tannin content of Phyllanthus emblica by radiolabeled Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) method and to study the antioxidant activity of the crude fruit extract and of the tannin precipitated with BSA from the extract. The fruit was extracted with methanol in the soxhlet apparatus. Precipitation methods like sensitive radiolabeled BSA in which tannins in the plant fruit extract complex with BSA which is quantified by gamma counter along with the reference standards like tannic and gallic acid. Other precipitation method is the radial diffusion assay in which tannin molecules migrate through agarose gel which is impregnated with the protein, BSA. The tannin-protein complex is formed in the gel which appears as a ring. The diameter of the ring is a measure of protein precipitation/binding capacity of tannins. Another method involves precipitation of tannins by polyvinyl poly pyrrolidone (PVPP) and then the total phenol in the supernatant. The difference in the total phenol and that of the supernatant gives the total amount of tannin present in the extract. Antioxidant activity of the crude fruit extract and the tannin present in the extract was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay. Results show that the total phenol content of the plant was found to be 0.135% in dry matter. The tannin content as shown by the PVPP precipitation method was 12.588 mg while that of Radiolabeled BSA method gave around 10 mg which is

Bovine Serum Albumine (BSA) aqueous solutions in the presence of NaCl are investigated for different protein concentrations and low to intermediate ionic strengths. Protein interactions are modeled via a charge-screened colloidal model, in which the range of the potential is determined by the Debye-Hückel constant. We use Monte Carlo computer simulations to calculate the structure factor, and assume an oblate ellipsoidal form factor for BSA. The theoretical scattered intensities are found in good agreement with the experimental small angle X-ray scattering intensities available in the literature. The performance of well-known integral equation closures to the Ornstein-Zernike equation, namely the mean spherical approximation, the Percus-Yevick, and the hypernetted chain equations, is also assessed with respect to computer simulation.

Silver nanoparticles are promising product of nanotechnology with attractive physicochemical and biological properties. The main aim of the study was to investigate optical properties of functional silver nanoparticles with different composite agents: polyvinylpyrrolidone, bovine serum albumin, hyaluronan and to explore their potential using in reproductive medicine. The date obtained in the study showed that surface modification of nanoparticles leads to change of their optical, physicochemical and biological properties. The optical properties of silver nanoparticles display, that AgNPs with PVP and BSA is most stable in PBS than AgNPs with HA. However the absorption curves after 120 hours of storage show, that AgNPs-HA were the most stable in ethanol. Results show, that silver nanoparticles did not effect on sperm viability and motility, but cause a changes of some biochemical parameters of conditioned medium, particular increase the concentration of triglycerides, activity of alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and decrease the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase after 3 h of in vitro cultivation at 37°C. According to our latest data AgNPs with HA have a less toxic effect on biological processes in rabbits sperm compared with AgNPs with PVP and BSA. Nevertheless all functional composites of silver nanoparticles at the concentration of 0.1 μg/mL have no toxic effect on spermatozoa and can be successfully applied in reproductive medicine at low concentrations as signal enhancers, optical sensors, and biomarkers.

Since nanoparticles (NPs) have shown great potential in various biomedical applications, live cell response to NPs should be thoroughly explored prior to their in vivo use. In the current study, live cell array (LCA) methodology and unique cell-based assays were used to study the interaction of magnetite (HSA-Mag NP) loaded human serum albumin NPs with phagocytic cells. The LCA enabled cell culturing during HSA-Mag NP accumulation and monolayer or spheroid formation, concomitantly with on-line monitoring of NP internalization. These platforms were also utilized for imaging intercellular links between living cells preloaded with HSA-Mag NP in 2D and 3D resolution. HSA-Mag NP uptake by cells was quantified by imaging, and analyzed using time-resolved measurements. Image analysis of the individual cells in cell populations showed accumulation of HSA-Mag NP by promonocytes and glial cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. High variability of NP accumulation in individual cells within cell populations, as well as cell subgroups, was evident in both cell types. Following 24 h interaction, uptake of HSA-Mag NP was about 10 times more efficient in glial cells than in activated promonocytes. The presented assays may facilitate detection and analysis of the amount of NPs within individual cells, as well as the rate of NP accumulation and processing in different subsets of living cells. Such data are crucial for estimating predicted drug dosage delivered by NPs, as well as to study possible mechanisms for NP interference with live cells.

This study looks into a safe, proficient and low-cost way for the preparation of novel silver nanoparticles by using 5% aqueous leaves extract of a medicinal plant, Marsilea quadrifolia (family: Marsileaceae) without using any external reducing and stabilizing agents. The synthesized AgNPs showed maximum UV-Vis absorbance at 435 nm due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The average diameter (∼22.5 nm) of AgNPs was measured from TEM analysis and was also supported by FE-SEM. The existence of a silver signal in EDX spectra supported the AgNPs formation and negative zeta potential value (-18.7 mV) which suggested its stability. FT-IR spectroscopic analysis showed that the functional groups like sbnd Osbnd H, sbnd Nsbnd H and sbnd Cdbnd O were responsible for the synthesis of AgNPs. The antibacterial activity of the AgNPs was tested against E. coli ATCC 25922. The anticancer potential of AgNPs was also assessed using two different cell lines, such as MCF-7 and HeLa. The interaction study of AgNPs with human serum albumin (HSA) and human hemoglobin (Hb) was performed by means of UV-Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, Circular dichroism (CD) and zeta potential measurement. More negative zeta potential values of AgNPs-HSA/Hb (-21.1/-19.5 mV) complexes than AgNPs (-18.7 mV) indicated corresponding stability of bio-conjugates. The basic structure of HSA/Hb remained unchanged and its secondary structure was slightly changed upon interaction with the AgNPs concluded from Circular dichroism. So, it can be predicted that this AgNPs may be applied in the medical field.

We report the fabrication of metal-coded molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) using hydrogel-based protein imprinting techniques. A Co(II) complex was prepared using (E)-2-((2 hydrazide-(4-vinylbenzyl)hydrazono)methyl)phenol; along with iron(III) chloroprotoporphyrin (Hemin), vinylferrocene (VFc), zinc(II) protoporphyrin (ZnPP) and protoporphyrin (PP), these complexes were introduced into the MIPs as co-monomers for metal-coding of non-metalloprotein imprints. Results indicate a 66% enhancement for bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein binding capacities (Q, mg/g) via metal-ion/ligand exchange properties within the metal-coded MIPs. Specifically, Co(II)-complex-based MIPs exhibited 92 ± 1% specific binding with Q values of 5.7 ± 0.45 mg BSA/g polymer and imprinting factors (IF) of 14.8 ± 1.9 (MIP/non-imprinted (NIP) control). The selectivity of our Co(II)-coded BSA MIPs were also tested using bovine haemoglobin (BHb), lysozyme (Lyz), and trypsin (Tryp). By evaluating imprinting factors (K), each of the latter proteins was found to have lower affinities in comparison to cognate BSA template. The hydrogels were further characterised by thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to assess optimum polymer composition. The development of hydrogel-based molecularly imprinted polymer (HydroMIPs) technology for the memory imprinting of proteins and for protein biosensor development presents many possibilities, including uses in bio-sample clean-up or selective extraction, replacement of biological antibodies in immunoassays and biosensors for medicine and the environment. Biosensors for proteins and viruses are currently expensive to develop because they require the use of expensive antibodies. Because of their biomimicry capabilities (and their potential to act as synthetic antibodies), HydroMIPs potentially offer a route to the development of new low-cost biosensors. Herein, a metal ion-mediated imprinting approach was employed to metal-code our

The interaction between Ginkgol C15:1 (Ginkgol), a natural bioactive compound from Ginkgo biloba, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by fluorescence, UV–vis absorption, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy under simulative physiological conditions. The results showed that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by Ginkgol was a static quenching procedure through forming a 1:1 ground-state Ginkgol–BSA complex with a binding constant of about 2.6×10{sup 3} L mol{sup −1}. The values of the thermodynamic parameters indicated that electrostatic and hydrophobic forces played important roles in the interaction of BSA with Ginkgol. The binding distance between BSA and Ginkgol was 3.37 nm, based on Föster’s non-radiative energy transfer theory, and subdomain IIA (Sudlow site I) was the primary binding site which was consistent with that results of molecular docking modeling. The results of UV–vis, CD, three-dimensional fluorescence and FT-IR spectra indicated that binding of Ginkgol to BSA induced conformational changes of BSA. - Highlights: • This is the first time to report the interaction between Ginkgol C15:1 and BSA. • Researching the binding properties of Ginkgol C15:1 and BSA in-depth. • From the aspect of BSA structure change, verified the anticancer activity of Ginkgol. • Molecular docking study explored the interaction of Ginkgol on BSA.

The aim of our study was to investigate the protective effects of Paeoniflorin (PF) against injury induced by AGE-modified bovine serum albumin (AGE-BSA) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and to examine the underlying mechanisms of these effects. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine cell viability. Protein expression levels were determined by western blotting. For function-blocking experiments, we used small interf...

Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-protected gold clusters (atomicity ˜ 20), prepared using a wet chemical route, show strong dipolar radiative transition with a gap energy of 1.93 eV due to the high oscillator strength, as confirmed by the emission studies. Self-arrangement of the clusters with fixed atomicity yields a low dispersive dielectric and electric self-polarization nature. The electrical hysteresis loop measurements returned a remanent polarization of 0.05 μC cm-2, which can be correlated with the dipolar orientation (activation energy ˜ 45.32 meV), originating from the structure-dependent deformation of the charge density.

Binding of a drug to the serum albumins as major serum transport proteins can be influenced by other ligands leading to alteration of its pharmacological properties. In the present study, binding characteristics of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) together with its displacement from its binding site by quercetin and rutin have been investigated by the spectroscopic method. According to the binding parameters, a static quenching component in overall dynamic quenching process is operative in the interaction between 6-MP and BSA. The binding of 6-MP to BSA occurred spontaneously due to entropy-driven hydrophobic interactions. The synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy study revealed that the secondary structure of BSA is changed in the presence of 6-MP and both Tyr and Trp residues participate in the interaction between 6-MP and BSA with the later one being more dominant. The binding constant value of 6-MP-BSA in the presence of quercetin and rutin increased. 6-MP was displaced by ibuprofen indicating that the binding site of 6-MP on albumin is site II. Therefore, the change of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of 6-MP by quercetin and rutin through alteration of binding capacity of 6-MP to the serum albumin cannot be ruled out. In addition, the displacement study showed that 6-MP is located in site II of BSA. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Participation of both Tyr and particularly Trp residues in the interaction between 6-MP and BSA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Involvement of a static quenching component in an overall dynamic quenching process. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ability of quercetin and rutin to change the binding constants of 6-MP-BSA complex. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Binding of 6-MP to BSA through entropy-driven hydrophobic interactions.

Porphyrin-sensitized photoxidation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) results in oxidation of the protein at (at least) two different, specific sites: the Cys-34 residue giving rise to a thiyl radical (RS.); and one or both of the tryptophan residues (Trp-134 and Trp-214) resulting in the formation...... of tertiary carbon-centred radicals and disruption of the tryptophan ring system. In the case of porphyrins such as hematoporphyrin, which bind at specific sites on BSA, these species appear to arise via long-range transfer of damage within the protein structure, as the binding site is some distance from...... the ultimate site of radical formation. This transfer of damage is shown to depend on a number of factors including the conformation of the protein, the presence of blocking groups and pH. Alteration of the protein conformation results in radical formation at additional (or alternative) sites, as does blocking...

Full Text Available The ABC transporters multidrug resistance associated protein 2 (MRP2 and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP are of interest in drug development, since they affect the pharmacokinetics of several drugs. Membrane vesicle transport assays are widely used to study interactions with these proteins. Since albumin has been found to affect the kinetics of metabolic enzymes in similar membrane preparations, we investigated whether albumin affects the kinetic parameters of efflux transport. We found that albumin increased the Vmax of 5(6-carboxy-2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (CDCF and estradiol-17-β-D-glucuronide uptake into MRP2 vesicles in the presence of 0.1% bovine serum albumin (BSA by 2 and 1.5-fold, respectively, while BSA increased Lucifer yellow uptake by 30% in BCRP vesicles. Km values increased slightly, but the change was not statistically significant. The effect of BSA on substrate uptake was dependent on the vesicle amount, while increasing BSA concentration did not significantly improve substrate uptake. These results indicate a minor effect of albumin on MRP2 and BCRP, but it should be considered if albumin is added to transporter assays for example as a solubilizer, since the effect may be substrate or transporter specific.

The ABC transporters multidrug resistance associated protein 2 (MRP2) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) are of interest in drug development, since they affect the pharmacokinetics of several drugs. Membrane vesicle transport assays are widely used to study interactions with these proteins. Since albumin has been found to affect the kinetics of metabolic enzymes in similar membrane preparations, we investigated whether albumin affects the kinetic parameters of efflux transport. We found that albumin increased the Vmax of 5(6)-carboxy-2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (CDCF) and estradiol-17-β-D-glucuronide uptake into MRP2 vesicles in the presence of 0.1% bovine serum albumin (BSA) by 2 and 1.5-fold, respectively, while BSA increased Lucifer yellow uptake by 30% in BCRP vesicles. Km values increased slightly, but the change was not statistically significant. The effect of BSA on substrate uptake was dependent on the vesicle amount, while increasing BSA concentration did not significantly improve substrate uptake. These results indicate a minor effect of albumin on MRP2 and BCRP, but it should be considered if albumin is added to transporter assays for example as a solubilizer, since the effect may be substrate or transporter specific.

In this study, the fouling behavior of PES ultrafiltration (UF) membrane with different DOM fractions including bovine serum albumin (BSA), sodium alginate (SA) and humic acid (HA) was systematically investigated. The result showed that the fouling mechanism of HA was cake formation while that of BSA and SA was caused by both pore blocking and cake formation due to the different particle size. Moreover, membrane fouling became more severe with the increase of feed concentration and TMP and it could be accurately described by the cake-complete model. The pore blocking resistance for SA was larger than that for BSA, whereas the cake resistance followed the sequence SA>BSA>HA. This observation offered insight into the differences in fouling behavior of the various DOM components and was further used as guidance for practical application.

In this work, we used a mathematical model to study the interaction of risperidone with human and bovine serum albumins estimating the relative position of the primary binding site, based on the fluorescence quenching theory. Results have shown that the model was able to demonstrate that primary binding site for risperidone in HSA and BSA is very close to the position where is tryptophan 134 of BSA, possibly in domain 1B.

The interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with sulfated, carboxylated, and pyridinium-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) was studied as a function of the degree of substitution by determining the adsorption isotherm and by directly measuring the thermodynamics of interaction. The adsorption of BSA onto positively charged pyridinium-grafted cellulose nanocrystals followed Langmuirian adsorption with the maximum amount of adsorbed protein increasing linearly with increasing degree of sub...

The interaction between chalcone and bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been studied by spectroscopic techniques under physiological condition. By the analysis of fluorescence spectrum and fluorescence intensity, it was observed that the chalcone has a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence with BSA through a static quenching procedure and non-radiation energy transfer were the main reasons for the fluorescence quenching. The association constants of chalcone with BSA were determined at different temperatures based on fluorescence quenching results. The positive entropy change and enthalpy change indicated that the interaction of chalcone and BSA was driven mainly by hydrophobic forces. The process of binding was a spontaneous process in which Gibbs free energy change was negative. The distance, r, between donor (BSA) and acceptor (chalcone) was obtained according to the Forster's theory of non-radiation energy transfer. The UV–vis, CD, FT-IR, synchronous and 3-D spectral results revealed the changes in the secondary structure of BSA upon interaction with chalcone. The effects of some common metal ions on binding of BSA–chalcone complex were also investigated. -- Highlights: • We explored the interaction between chalcone and BSA by fluorescence spectroscopy. • The fluorescence quenching mechanism was static quenching. • The binding constants and thermodynamic parameters were calculated. • The interaction is driven mainly by hydrophobic force. • The binding of chalcone to BSA induced changes in the secondary structure of BSA.

Hydrogen-terminated porous silicon (pSi) films were fabricated through electrochemical anodization of crystalline Si in HF-based solutions. The pSi-H surface was chemically functionalized by thermal reaction with undecylenic acid to produce an organic monolayer covalently attached to the silicon surface through Si-C bonds and bearing an acid terminal group. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was then adsorbed onto the modified surface. SEM showed that the porous films were damaged and partially lifted off the Si substrate after a prolonged BSA adsorption. Ellipsometry revealed that the BSA had penetrated ˜ 1.3 micrometers into the porous structure. The film damage results from BSA anchoring itself tightly through strong electrostatic interactions to the acid-covered Si sidewalls. A change in surface tension during BSA film formation then causes the pSi layer to buckle and lift-off the underlying Si substrate. FTIR results from the modified pSi surfaces showed the presence of strong characteristic Amide I, II and III vibrational bands after BSA adsorption.

The adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on micro- and nanocrystalline diamond/β-SiC composite films synthesized using the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) technique has been investigated by confocal fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. BSA labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was employed as a probe. The BSA FITC conjugate was found to preferentially adsorb on both O-/OH-terminated microcrystalline and nanocrystalline diamond compared to the OH-terminated β-SiC, resulting in an increasing amount of BSA adsorbed to the gradient surfaces with an increasing diamond/β-SiC ratio. The different strength of adsorption (>30 times for diamond with a grain size of 570 nm) coincides with different surface energy parameters and differing conformational changes upon adsorption. Fluorescence data of the adsorbed BSA FITC on the gradient film with different diamond coverage show a four-exponential decay with decay times of 3.71, 2.54, 0.66, and 0.13 ns for a grain size of 570 nm. The different decay times are attributed to the fluorescence of thiourea fluorescein residuals of linked FITC distributed in BSA with different dye-dye and dye-surface distances. The longest decay time was found to correlate linearly with the diamond grain size. The fluorescence of BSA FITC undergoes external dynamic fluorescence quenching on the diamond surface by H- and/or sp 2 -defects and/or by amorphous carbon or graphite phases. An acceleration of the internal fluorescence concentration quenching in BSA FITC because of structural changes of albumin due to adsorption, is concluded to be a secondary contributor. These results suggest that the micro- and nanocrystalline diamond/β-SiC composite gradient films can be utilized to spatially control protein adsorption and diamond crystallite size, which facilitates systematic studies at these interesting (bio)interfaces.

Short-term toxicological evaluations of alpha-radioimmunotherapy have been reported in preclinical assays, particularly using bismuth-213 (213Bi). Toxicity is greatly influenced not only by the pharmacokinetics and binding specificity of the vector but also by non-specific irradiation due to the circulating radiopharmaceutical in the blood. To assess this, an acute and chronic toxicity study was carried out in mice injected with 213Bi-labelled Bovine Serum Albumin (213Bi-BSA) as an example of a long-term circulating vector. Biodistribution of 213Bi-BSA and 125I-BSA were compared in order to evaluate 213Bi uptake by healthy organs. The doses to organs for injected 213Bi-BSA were calculated. Groups of nude mice were injected with 3.7, 7.4 and 11.1 MBq of 213Bi-BSA and monitored for 385 days. Plasma parameters, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, were measured and blood cell counts (white blood cells, platelets and red blood cells) were performed. Mouse organs were examined histologically at different time points. Haematological toxicity was transient and non-limiting for all evaluated injected activities. At the highest injected activity (11.1 MBq), mice died from liver and kidney failure (median survival of 189 days). This liver toxicity was identified by an increase in both ALT and AST and by histological examination. Mice injected with 7.4 MBq of 213Bi-BSA (median survival of 324 days) had an increase in plasma BUN and creatinine due to impaired kidney function, confirmed by histological examination. Injection of 3.7 MBq of 213Bi-BSA was safe, with no plasma enzyme modifications or histological abnormalities. Haematological toxicity was not limiting in this study. Liver failure was observed at the highest injected activity (11.1 MBq), consistent with liver damage observed in human clinical trials. Intermediate injected activity (7.4 MBq) should be used with caution because of the

The orthopedic prosthesis used to substitute damaged natural joints are lubricated by a pseudosynovial fluid that contains biological macromolecules with potential boundary lubrication properties. Proteins are some of those macromolecules whose role in the lubrication process is not yet completely understood. In a previous work, we investigated the influence of the presence of albumin, the major synovial protein, upon the tribological behavior of three of the most used pairs of artificial joint materials: ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) against counterfaces of alumina, CoCrMo alloy, and 316L stainless steel. Albumin was found to cause a significant decrease in the friction coefficient when the counterfaces were metallic because transfer of UHMWPE was avoided, but this effect was much weaker in the case of alumina. The objective of the present work was to look for an explanation for these differences in tribological behavior in terms of albumin adsorption. With this goal, studies on adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the counterface materials, from a biological model fluid (Hanks' balanced salt solution), were carried out using radiolabeled albumin ((125)I-BSA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The conclusion from all techniques is that the driving force for albumin adsorption is higher on the metals than on alumina. These results confirm that the greater the amount of protein adsorbed on the counterface, the more efficient is the protection against the transfer of polymeric film to the counterface.

The interaction between the flavonoid hesperidin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. The results revealed that hesperidin caused the fluorescence quenching of BSA through a static quenching procedure. The hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions play a major role in stabilizing the complex. The binding site number n, and apparent binding constant K {sub A}, corresponding thermodynamic parameters {delta}G {sup o}, {delta}H {sup o}, {delta}S {sup o} at different temperatures were calculated. The distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (hesperidin) was obtained according to fluorescence resonance energy transfer. The effect of Cu{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+}, Ni{sup 2+}, Co{sup 2+}, and Mn{sup 2+} on the binding constants between hesperidin and BSA were studied. The effect of hesperidin on the conformation of BSA was analyzed using synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy.

This study investigated the interaction between eupatorin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies, and molecular modeling at pH 7.4. Results of UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies illustrated that BSA fluorescence was quenched by eupatorin via a static quenching mechanism. Thermodynamic parameters revealed that hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions played major roles in the interaction. Moreover, the efficiency of energy transfer, and the distance between BSA and acceptor eupatorin, were calculated. The effects of eupatorin on the BSA conformation were analyzed using UV-vis, CD, and synchronous fluorescence. Finally, the binding of eupatorin to BSA was modeled using the molecular docking method. PMID:23839090

The interaction between imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole (IMTZ) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was analyzed by fluorescence and ultraviolet spectroscopy at 302 and 310 K under simulative physiological conditions. The results show that IMTZ can effectively quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA via static and dynamic quenching. The binding constant, binding sites of IMTZ with BSA were calculated. According to the Förster non-radiation energy transfer theory, the average binding distance between IMTZ and BSA was obtained. What's more, the synchronous fluorescence spectra indicated that the conformation of BSA has been changed. The results provided the information for the binding of IMTZ to BSA, and the influences of substituent group on the interaction were also discussed.

The pulse radiolytic and spectrophotometric study of uric acid in presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been carried out. In the spectrophotometric study there is no evidence for ground state interaction between BSA and uric acid. The reaction of CCl 3 OO . radical with uric acid produces a transient having absorption maximum at 330 nm and that with BSA produces transient having absorption maximum at 410 nm. In a composition of equal concentration of uric acid and BSA the CCl 3 OO . radical produces a transient absorption spectrum which shows two peaks at 330 nm and 350 nm and a shoulder at 410 nm. The peak at 350 nm is ascribed due to weak complex formation between BSA and uric acid radicals. The rate constant of CCl 3 OO . radical with uric acid increases with the increase in BSA concentration which is explained as protection of BSA by uric acid from radical attack. (author). 4 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

3-Oxotabersonine (OTAB) is a component of Voacanga africana, which is a type of traditional drug in Africa widely used for treating diseases. This study examines the interaction of OTAB with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA) under physiological conditions. The interaction between OTAB and BSA/HSA was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and molecular modeling under simulated physiological conditions. The experimental results confirm that the quenching mechanism is a static quenching process. The binding site number (n) and the apparent binding constant (K) were measured at various temperatures. The thermodynamic parameters, namely, enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS), were calculated. Furthermore, the structural changes in the serum albumin that affected the OTAB binding were determined using FT-IR. The binding site was assumed to be located in site I of the BSA/HSA (subdomain IIA). -- Highlights: ► Make use of the 3-Oxotabersonine firstly extracted from seeds of Voacanga africana Stapf to study the drug–protein system. ► Use two kinds of similar structure serum albumins to do a comparative study. ► FT-IR was used to study the conformational change of BSA and HSA. ► Use the BSA and HSA structure obtained from the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank for molecular docking

A sensitive electrochemical sensor based on bovine serum albumin (BSA)/poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) functionalized graphene nanosheets (PDDA-G) composite film modified glassy carbon electrode (BSA/PDDA-G/GCE) had been developed to investigate the oxidative protein damage and protections of protein from damage by flavonoids. The performance of this sensor was remarkably improved due to excellent electrical conductivity, strong adsorptive ability, and large effective surface area of PDDA-G. The BSA/PDDA-G/GCE displayed the greatest degree of BSA oxidation damage at 40 min incubation time and in the pH 5.0 Fenton reagent system (12.5 mM FeSO 4 , 50 mM H 2 O 2 ). The antioxidant activities of four flavonoids had been compared by fabricated sensor based on the relative peak current ratio of SWV, because flavonoids prevented BSA damage caused by Fenton reagent and affected the BSA signal in a solution containing Co(bpy) 3 3+ . The sensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). UV–vis spectrophotometry and FTIR were also used to investigate the generation of hydroxyl radical and BSA damage, respectively. On the basis of results from electrochemical methods, the order of the antioxidant activities of flavonoids is as follows: (+)-catechin > kaempferol > apigenin > naringenin. A novel, direct SWV analytical method for detection of BSA damage and assessment of the antioxidant activities of four flavonoids was developed and this electrochemical method provided a simple, inexpensive and rapid detection of BSA damage and evaluation of the antioxidant activities of samples. - Highlights: • Hydroxyl radicals were produced by Fenton reagents. • An electrochemical bovine serum albumin (BSA) damage sensor was successfully fabricated. • The proposed biosensor can assess the antioxidant capacity of four flavonoids. • The order of antioxidant activities of flavonoids

A sensitive electrochemical sensor based on bovine serum albumin (BSA)/poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) functionalized graphene nanosheets (PDDA-G) composite film modified glassy carbon electrode (BSA/PDDA-G/GCE) had been developed to investigate the oxidative protein damage and protections of protein from damage by flavonoids. The performance of this sensor was remarkably improved due to excellent electrical conductivity, strong adsorptive ability, and large effective surface area of PDDA-G. The BSA/PDDA-G/GCE displayed the greatest degree of BSA oxidation damage at 40 min incubation time and in the pH 5.0 Fenton reagent system (12.5 mM FeSO{sub 4}, 50 mM H{sub 2}O{sub 2}). The antioxidant activities of four flavonoids had been compared by fabricated sensor based on the relative peak current ratio of SWV, because flavonoids prevented BSA damage caused by Fenton reagent and affected the BSA signal in a solution containing Co(bpy){sub 3}{sup 3+}. The sensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). UV–vis spectrophotometry and FTIR were also used to investigate the generation of hydroxyl radical and BSA damage, respectively. On the basis of results from electrochemical methods, the order of the antioxidant activities of flavonoids is as follows: (+)-catechin > kaempferol > apigenin > naringenin. A novel, direct SWV analytical method for detection of BSA damage and assessment of the antioxidant activities of four flavonoids was developed and this electrochemical method provided a simple, inexpensive and rapid detection of BSA damage and evaluation of the antioxidant activities of samples. - Highlights: • Hydroxyl radicals were produced by Fenton reagents. • An electrochemical bovine serum albumin (BSA) damage sensor was successfully fabricated. • The proposed biosensor can assess the antioxidant capacity of four flavonoids. • The order of antioxidant

We not only modified the types and numbers of coordinated ligands in a metal agent to enhance its anticancer activity, but we also designed a metal prodrug based on the N-donor residues of the human serum albumin (HSA) IIA subdomain to improve its delivery efficiency and selectivity in vivo. However, there may be a conflict in simultaneously achieving the two goals because Lys199 and His242 in the IIA subdomain of HSA can replace its two coordinated ligands, which will decrease its anticancer activity relative to the original metal agent. Thus, to improve the delivery efficiency of the metal agent and simultaneously avoid decreasing its anticancer activity in vivo, we decided to develop an anticancer metal prodrug by regulating its pharmacophore ligand so that it would not be displaced by the Lys199 residue of the folic acid (FA)-functionalized HSA nanoparticle (NP) carrier. To this end, we first synthesized two (E)-N'-(5-chloro-2-hydroxybenzylidene)benzohydrazide Schiff base (HL) Cu(II) compounds by designing a second ligand with a different coordinating atom with Cu 2+ /Cu(L)(QL)(Br) [C1, QL = quinolone] and Cu(L)(DMF)(Br) [C2, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide]. As revealed by the structures of the two HSA complexes, the Cu compounds bind to the hydrophobic cavity in the HSA IIA subdomain. The QL ligand of C1 is replaced by Lys199, which coordinates with Cu 2+ , whereas the DMF ligand of C2 is kept intact and His242 is replaced with Br - of C2 and coordinates with Cu 2+ . The cytotoxicity of the Cu compounds was enhanced by the FA-HSA NPs in the Bel-7402 cells approximately 2-4-fold; however, they raise the cytotoxicity levels in the normal cells in vitro, and the FA-HSA NPs did not. Importantly, the in vivo data showed that FA-HSA-C2 NPs increased selectivity and the capacity to inhibit tumor growth and were less toxic than HSA-C2 NPs and C2. Moreover, C2/HSA-C2 NPs/FA-HSA-C2 NPs induced Bel-7402 cell death by potentially multiple mechanisms.

Biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been synthesized by using Solanum tuberosum (potato) extract (PE) as a reducing as well as stabilizing agent which is reasonably cheaper, non-toxic and easily available material. The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles has been carried out by very simple method and the nanoparticles were characterized by surface plasmon band as well as TEM measurements. The PE-AgNPs were highly dispersed in the solution and found to be spherical with around 10nm in size. Interaction of these nanoparticles was studied with plasma protein HSA by means of various spectroscopies, such as, UV-visible, fluorescence, DLS, CD and FTIR spectroscopies. The HSA was found to form the protein "corona" around the starch-capped PE-AgNPs. Absorption spectroscopy revealed that the interaction between HSA and PE-AgNPs resulted in the ground state complex formation. Due to the strong absorption of PE-AgNPs, the inner filter effect was corrected for the fluorescence data. PE-AgNPs were found to quench the fluorescence of HSA with a small blue shift attributed to the increase in the hydrophobicity near tryptophan residue due to the presence of amylopectin and amylose units in the starch. The value of n, Hill's constant, was found to be >1 which determines the existence of a cooperative binding between nanoparticle and albumin. Several parameters such as Stern-Volmer and binding constants in addition to the thermodynamic parameters have been analyzed and discussed which established that the complex formation has taken place via static quenching mechanism and the corona formation between albumin and PE-AgNPs was entropy driven process. Binding of biogenic PE-AgNPs to the HSA slightly affected the secondary structure of latter with a small decrease in α-helical contents resulting in the partial unfolding of the protein, though the structural motif remained the same. Molecular docking simulations revealed various possible binding modes between PE-AgNPs and

We report the studies relating to fabrication of an efficient immunosensor for Vibrio cholerae detection. Magnetite (iron oxide (Fe3O4)) nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized by the co-precipitation method and capped by citric acid (CA). These NPs were electrophoretically deposited onto indium-tin-oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrate and used for immobilization of monoclonal antibodies against Vibrio cholerae (Ab) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) for Vibrio cholerae detection using an electrochemical technique. The structural and morphological studies of Fe3O4 and CA-Fe3O4/ITO were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. The average crystalline size of Fe3O4, CA-Fe3O4 nanoparticles obtained were about 29 ± 1 nm and 37 ± 1 nm, respectively. The hydrodynamic radius of the nanoparticles was found to be 77.35 nm (Fe3O4) and 189.51 nm (CA-Fe3O4) by DLS measurement. The results of electrochemical response studies of the fabricated BSA/Ab/CA-Fe2O3/ITO immunosensor exhibits a good detection range of 12.5-500 ng mL-1 with a low detection limit of 0.32 ng mL-1, sensitivity 0.03 Ω/ng ml-1 cm-2, and reproducibility more than 11 times.

Full Text Available Spectroscopic analysis of a bioactive flavonol, 3-Hydroxyflavone (3-HF, in systems based on Dextran 70 (Dx70 (an important bio-relevant polysacharide and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA (a carrier protein, have been studied by fluorescence and circular dichroism. Changes produced by different concentrations of Dx70 on the fluorescent characteristics of 3-HF, and on the excited - state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT process were studied. The influence of 3-HF binding and of Dx70 on the secondary structure of BSA were investigated by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The influence of temperature (30-80°C range on the intrinsic Tryptophan fluorescence in 3-HF/BSA/Dx70 systems, was investigated. The results are discussed with relevance to 3-HF as a sensitive fluorescence probe for exploring flavone-protein interaction in plasma expander media and also for its biological evaluation.

The development of a non-invasive method for the detection of Alzheimer's disease is of high current interest, which can be critical in early diagnosis and in guiding preventive treatment of the disease. The aggregates of beta amyloids are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Carbohydrates such as sialic acid terminated gangliosides have been shown to play significant roles in initiation of amyloid aggregation. Herein, we report a biomimetic approach using sialic acid coated iron oxide superparamagnetic nanoparticles for in vitro detection in addition to the assessment of the in vivo mouse-BBB (Blood brain barrier) crossing of the BSA (bovine serum albumin)-modified ones. The sialic acid functionalized dextran nanoparticles were shown to bind with beta amyloids through several techniques including ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), TEM (transmission electron microscopy), gel electrophoresis and tyrosine fluorescence assay. The superparamagnetic nature of the nanoparticles allowed easy detection of the beta amyloids in mouse brains in both in vitro and ex vivo model by magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, the sialic acid nanoparticles greatly reduced beta amyloid induced cytotoxicity to SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, highlighting the potential of the glyconanoparticles for detection and imaging of beta amyloids. Sialic acid functionalized BSA (bovine serum albumin) nanoparticles also showed significant binding to beta amyloids, through ELISA and ex vivo mouse brain MRI experiments. Alternatively, the BBB crossing was demonstrated by several techniques such as confocal microscopy, endocytosis, exocytosis assays and were affirmed by nanoparticles transcytosis assays through bEnd.3 endothelial cells. Finally, the BBB crossing was confirmed by analyzing the MRI signal of nanoparticle-injected CD-1 mice.

In the present investigation the interaction of a biologically active photodynamic therapeutic agent Toluidine blue O (TBO) with Serum albumins viz Human serum albumin (HSA) and Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied using absorption, emission, circular dichroism spectroscopy and molecular docking experiments. The emission titration experiments between HSA/BSA and TBO revealed the existence of strong interactions between TBO and the proteins. The site competitive experiment of HSA and BSA showed that the primary binding site of TBO is located in site I of HSA/BSA involving hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction. To ascertain the results of site competitive experiments, molecular docking was utilized to characterize the binding models of TBO–HSA/BSA complexes. From the molecular docking studies, free energy calculations were undertaken to examine the energy contributions and the role of various amino acid residues of HSA/BSA in TBO binding. The existence of Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) between the ligand and the protein was utilized to calculate the donor–acceptor distance of TBO and protein. The TBO induced conformational changes of HSA/BSA was established using synchronous emission, three dimensional emission and circular dichroism studies. - Highlights: • Site selective binding interaction of TBO with HSA and BSA were investigated. • TBO quenches the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA/BSA by static quenching process. • Computational studies of TBO with HSA/BSA substantiate the experimental findings. • 3D and CD spectral studies of TBO–HSA/BSA revealed structural changes in protein. • The distance (r) between TBO and HSA/BSA were estimated from FRET theory.

The interaction of Acid Orange 10 (AO10) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated comparatively with that of human serum albumin (HSA) using multispectroscopic techniques for understanding their toxic mechanism. Further, density functional theory calculations and docking studies have been carried out to gain more insights into the nature of interactions existing between AO10 and serum albumins. The fluorescence results suggest that AO10 quenched the fluorescence of BSA through the combination of static and dynamic quenching mechanism. The same trend was followed in the interaction of AO10 with HSA. In addition to the type of quenching mechanism, the fluorescence spectroscopic results suggest that the binding occurs near the tryptophan moiety of serum albumins and the binding. AO10 has more binding affinity towards BSA than HSA. An AO10-Trp model has been created to explicitly understand the Csbnd Htbnd π interactions from Bader's quantum theory of atoms in molecules analysis which confirmed that AO10 bind more strongly with BSA than that of HSA due to the formation of three hydrogen bonds with BSA whereas it forms two hydrogen bonds in the case of HSA. These obtained results provide an in-depth understanding of the interaction of the acid azo dye AO10 with serum albumins. This interaction study provides insights into the underlying reasons for toxicity of AO10 relevant to understand its effect on bovids and humans during the blood transportation process.

Discrete biomolecule-nanoparticle (NP) conjugates play paramount roles in nanofabrication, in which the key is to get the precise molar extinction coefficient of NPs. By making best use of the gift from a specific separation phenomenon of agarose gel electrophoresis (GE), amphiphilic polymer coated NP with exact number of bovine serum albumin (BSA) proteins can be extracted and further experimentally employed to precisely calculate the molar extinction coefficient of the NPs. This method could further benefit the evaluation and extraction of any other dual-component NP-containing bio-conjugates.

Full Text Available The interaction of cadmium sulphide nanoparticles [(CdSn] with proteins has been studied by resonance Rayleigh scattering spectra (RRS. Below the isoelectric point, proteins such as bovine serum albumin (BSA, human serum albumin (HSA, lysozyme (Lys, hemoglobin (HGB, and ovalbumin (OVA can bind with CdSn to form macromolecules by virtue of electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic force. It can result in the enhancement of resonance Rayleigh scattering spectra (RRS intensity. Their maximum scattering peaks were 280 nm, and there was a smaller peak at 370 nm. The scattering enhancement (ΔIRRS is directly proportional to the concentration of proteins. A new RRS method for the determination of trace proteins using uncapped CdSn nanoparticles probe has been developed. The detection limits are 19.6 ng/mL for HSA, 16.7 ng/mL for BSA, 18.5 ng/mL for OVA, 80.2 ng/mL for HGB, and 67.4 ng/mL for Lys, separately. In this work, the optimum condition of reaction, the effect of foreign, and the analytical application had been investigated.

, Cy5.5, was used to label the glycol chitosan nanoparticles to enable the noninvasive imaging of living cells. A model protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) was encapsulated within the glycol chitosan nanoparticles, and its loading efficiency was calculated to be 88%. Release profile of the BSA showed that only 4% (cumulative mass) was achieved by day 7. Minimal cytotoxicity was observed after delivery of the chitosan vehicle alone. To test degradation kinetics, the BSA-loaded nanoparticles were incubated with lysozyme for up to 3 hours and were applied in SDS-PAGE to determine if enzyme-catalyzed degradation triggered premature release of the encapsulated protein. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to visualize the spatiotemporal distribution of FITC-BSA-loaded glycol chitosan nanoparticles after delivery to the rat osteosarcoma (ROS17/2.8) and mouse calvaria-derived (MC3T3-E1) cells.

Four different phase compositions of calcium phosphate (CaP) particles were prepared via a solution combustion method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld analysis results revealed that the variations in the nominal Ca/P (molar) ratios were found to provide a favorable control in the different proportions of CaP materials. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model protein to study the loading and release behavior. The release profile indicated that the BSA release rates depended on the phase compositions of the CaP particles, and showed an order of TCP-BSA > BCP-1-BSA > BCP-2-BSA > HA-BSA. The results suggested that the BSA protein release rate can be controlled by varying the phase compositions of CaP carriers. Moreover, the release process involved two stages: firstly surface diffusion via ion exchange and secondly intraparticle diffusion. - Highlights: • Solution combustion method was an efficient way to produced CaP powders. • Ca/P (molar) ratios provided a favorable control in the different proportions of phase composition. • BSA release rate varied depending on the phase composition of the CaP particles. • Two kinetic models were chosen to simulate the release kinetics of the drugs from CaP carriers.

Due to their unique optical properties, quantum dots (QDs) are rapidly revolutionizing many areas of medicine and biology. Despite the remarkable speed of development of nanoscience, relatively little is known about the interaction of nanoscale objects with organism. In this work, interaction of CdTe QDs coated with mercaptopropanoic acid (MPA), L-cysteine (L-cys), and glutathione (GSH) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated. Fluorescence (FL), UV–vis absorption, and circular dichroism (CD) spectra methods were used. The Stern-Volmer quenching constant (K sv ) at different temperatures, corresponding thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔG and ΔS), and information of the structural features of BSA were gained. We found that QDs can effectively quench the FL of BSA in a ligand-dependent manner, electrostatic interactions play a major role in the binding reaction, and the nature of quenching is static, resulting in forming QDs-BSA complexes. The CD spectra showed that the secondary and tertiary structure of BSA was changed. This study contributes to a better understanding of the ligand effects on QDs-proteins interactions, which is a critical issue for the applications in vivo. - Highlights: ► The interaction between three thiol-capped QDs and BSA by UV–vis, FL, and CD spectra. ► The bio-effect of CdTe QDs on BSA was a ligand-dependent manner. ► The thermodynamic parameters and the structural features of BSA were gained.

The interactions of three proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), omeprazole, pantoprazole and ilaprazole with bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been investigated by fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) and circular dichroism (CD). Various binding parameters have been calculated at various temperatures. The results indicated that omeprazole, pantoprazole and ilaprazole had a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA with static quenching mechanism, and the binding affinities were significantly affected by different substituents and polarities as the order ilaprazole>pantoprazole>omeprazole. The site marker competitive experiments indicated that the binding of omeprazole, pantoprazole and ilaprazole to BSA primarily took place in subdomain IIA. The results of thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH and ΔS indicated that electrostatic interaction played a major role for PPIs–BSA association. The distance r between PPIs and BSA was evaluated according to the theory of Förster's energy transfer. The quantitative analysis of synchronous fluorescence and CD spectra showed the change in secondary structure of the BSA upon interaction with PPIs by a reduction of α-helix. All the above results many have relevant insight into the PPIs' availability and distribution. - Highlights: ► The interactions of three PPIs with BSA have been investigated. ► The fluorescence quenching mechanism is static quenching. ► Binding affinities were greatly affected by the substituents and polarities. ► The binding of three PPIs to BSA primarily took place in subdomain IIA.

The interaction between promethazine hydrochloride (PMT) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in vitro was investigated by means of fluorescence spectroscopy and absorption spectroscopy. The fluorescence of BSA was quenched remarkably by PMT and the quenching mechanism was considered as static quenching by forming a complex. The association constants K{sub a} and the number of binding sites n were calculated at different temperatures. The BSA-PMT binding distance was determined to be less than 8 nm, suggesting that energy transfer from BSA to PMT may occur. The thermodynamic parameters of the interaction between PMT and BSA were measured according to the van't Hoff equation. The enthalpy change ({Delta}H) and entropy change ({Delta}S) were calculated to be -23.62 kJ mol{sup -1} and -0.10 J mol{sup -1} K{sup -1}, respectively, which indicated that the interaction of PMT with BSA was driven mainly by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds. The binding process was a spontaneous process in which Gibbs free energy change ({Delta}G) was negative. In addition, the results of synchronous fluorescence spectra and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra showed that binding of PMT with BSA can induce conformational changes in BSA.

Oridonin is an effective anticancer drug which has high potency and low systemic toxicity. In this study, the interaction between oridonin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by several spectroscopic approaches for the first time. The binding characteristics of oridonin and BSA were determined by fluorescence emission spectra and resonance light scattering spectra. It is showed that the oridonin quenches the fluorescence of BSA and the static quenching constant K{sub SV} is 1.30 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} L mol{sup -1} at 298 K. Moreover, oridonin and BSA form a 1:1 complex with a binding constant of 0.62 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} L mol{sup -1}. On the other hand, the thermodynamic parameters indicate that the binding process was a spontaneous molecular interaction procedure, in which hydrophobic forces played a major role. The structure analysis indicates that oridonin binding results in an increased hydrophobicity around the tryptophan residues of BSA. Additionally, as shown by the UV-vis absorption, synchronous fluorescence and three-dimensional fluorescence results, oridonin could lead to conformational and some microenvironmental changes of BSA. The work provides accurate and full basic data for clarifying the binding mechanism of oridonin with BSA in vitro and is helpful for understanding its effect on protein function during its transportation and distribution in blood. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Interaction between oridonin and BSA was evaluated by multi-spectroscopic methods. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Binding constant, number of binding sites and thermodynamic parameters were calculated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Oridonin binds to Subdomain II site in BSA and form a 1:1 complex with it. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Oridonin-BSA complex is stabilized mainly by hydrophobic force. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Oridonin binding induces conformational and microenvironmental changes in BSA.

A method for the production of highly stable gold nanoparticles (Au NP) was optimized using sodium borohydride as reducing agent and bovine serum albumin as capping agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and dynamic light scattering techniques. The formation of gold nanoparticles was confirmed from the appearance of pink colour and an absorption maximum at 532 nm. These protein capped nanoparticles exhibited excellent stability towards pH modification and electrolyte addition. The produced nanoparticles were found to be spherical in shape, nearly monodispersed and with an average particle size of 7.8 ± 1.7 nm. Crystalline nature of the nanoparticles in face centered cubic structure is confirmed from the selected‐area electron diffraction and XRD patterns. The nanoparticles were functionalized with various amino-glycosidic antibiotics for utilizing them as drug delivery vehicles. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the possible functional groups of antibiotics bound to the nanoparticle surface have been examined. These drug loaded nanoparticle solutions were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains, by well diffusion assay. The antibiotic conjugated Au NP exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity, compared to pure antibiotic at the same concentration. Being protein capped and highly stable, these gold nanoparticles can act as effective carriers for drugs and might have considerable applications in the field of infection prevention and therapeutics. - Highlights: ► Method for NaBH 4 reduced and BSA capped gold nanoparticle was standardized. ► Nanoparticles were spherical and nearly monodispersed with a size of 7.8 nm. ► Nanoparticles are extremely stable towards pH modification and electrolyte addition. ► Antibiotic conjugated nanoparticles exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity

A method for the production of highly stable gold nanoparticles (Au NP) was optimized using sodium borohydride as reducing agent and bovine serum albumin as capping agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and dynamic light scattering techniques. The formation of gold nanoparticles was confirmed from the appearance of pink colour and an absorption maximum at 532 nm. These protein capped nanoparticles exhibited excellent stability towards pH modification and electrolyte addition. The produced nanoparticles were found to be spherical in shape, nearly monodispersed and with an average particle size of 7.8 {+-} 1.7 nm. Crystalline nature of the nanoparticles in face centered cubic structure is confirmed from the selected-area electron diffraction and XRD patterns. The nanoparticles were functionalized with various amino-glycosidic antibiotics for utilizing them as drug delivery vehicles. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the possible functional groups of antibiotics bound to the nanoparticle surface have been examined. These drug loaded nanoparticle solutions were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains, by well diffusion assay. The antibiotic conjugated Au NP exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity, compared to pure antibiotic at the same concentration. Being protein capped and highly stable, these gold nanoparticles can act as effective carriers for drugs and might have considerable applications in the field of infection prevention and therapeutics. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Method for NaBH{sub 4} reduced and BSA capped gold nanoparticle was standardized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanoparticles were spherical and nearly monodispersed with a size of 7.8 nm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanoparticles are extremely stable towards pH modification and electrolyte addition. Black

The binding of kaempferol with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated at three temperatures, 296, 310 and 318 K, by the fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) at pH 7.40. The CD and FT-IR studies indicate that kaempferol binds strongly to BSA. The association constant K was determined by Stern-Volmer equation based on the quenching of the fluorescence BSA in the presence of kaempferol. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated according to the dependence of enthalpy change on the temperature as follows: Δ H0 and Δ S0 possess small negative (-1.694 kJ/mol) and positive values (88.814 J/mol K), respectively. According to the displacement experimental and the thermodynamic results, it is considered that kaempferol binding site II (subdomain III) mainly by hydrophobic interaction. The results studied by FT-IR and CD experiments indicate that the secondary structures of the protein have been changed by the interaction of kaempferol with BSA. The distance between the tryptophan residues in BSA and kaempferol bound to site II was estimated to be 2.78 nm using Foster's equation on the basis of fluorescence energy transfer.

Thin films of tantalum, niobium, zirconium and titanium oxides were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering and their wettability and surface energy, optical properties, roughness, chemical composition and microstructure were characterized using contact angle measurements, spectroscopic ellipsometry, profilometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The purpose of the work was to correlate the surface properties of the films to the Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) adsorption, as a first step into the development of an initial in vitro test of the films biocompatibility, based on standardized protein adsorption essays. The films were immersed into BSA solutions with different protein concentrations and protein adsorption was monitored in situ by dynamic ellipsometry; the adsorption-rate was dependent on the solution concentration and the immersion time. The overall BSA adsorption was studied in situ using spectroscopic ellipsometry and it was found to be influenced by the wettability of the films; larger BSA adsorption occurred on the more hydrophobic surface, the ZrO{sub 2} film. On the Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}, Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} and TiO{sub 2} films, hydrophilic surfaces, the overall BSA adsorption increased with the surface roughness or the polar component of the surface energy.

An environment sensitive fluorophore, 4-(5-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)oxazol-2-yl)benzoic acid (DMOBA), that closely mimics biologically active 2,5-disubstituited oxazoles has been designed to probe two homologous serum proteins, human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) by means of photophysical and molecular modeling studies. This fluorescent analogue exhibits solvent polarity sensitive fluorescence due to an intramolecular charge transfer in the excited state. In comparison to water, the steady state emission spectra of DMOBA in BSA is characterized by a greater blue shift ( 10 nm) and smaller Stokes' shift ( 5980 cm- 1) in BSA than HSA (Stokes'shift 6600 cm- 1), indicating less polar and more hydrophobic environment of the dye in the former than the latter. The dye-protein binding interactions are remarkably stronger for BSA than HSA which is evident from higher value of the association constant for the DMOBA-BSA complex (Ka 5.2 × 106 M- 1) than the DMOBA-HSA complex (Ka 1.0 × 106 M- 1). Fӧrster resonance energy transfer studies revealed remarkably less efficient energy transfer (8%) between the donor tryptophans in BSA and the acceptor DMOBA dye than that (30%) between the single tryptophan moiety in HSA and the dye, which is consistent with a much larger distance between the donor (tryptophan)-acceptor (dye) pair in BSA (34.5 Å) than HSA (25.4 Å). Site specific competitive binding assays have confirmed on the location of the dye in Sudlow's site II of BSA and in Sudlow's site I of HSA, respectively. Molecular modeling studies have shown that the fluorescent analogue is tightly packed in the binding site of BSA due to strong steric complementarity, where, binding of DMOBA to BSA is primarily dictated by the van der Waals and hydrogen bonding interactions. In contrast, in HSA the steric complementarity is less significant and binding is primarily guided by polar interactions and van der Waals interactions appear to be less significant in the

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in the US. Although early detection and treatment help to increase survival rates, some unfortunate patients develop metastatic breast cancer that has no cure. Palliative treatment is the main objective in this group of patients in order to prolong life and reduce toxicities from interventions. In the advancement of treatment for metastatic breast cancer, solvent-based paclitaxel has been widely used. However, solvent-based paclitaxel often causes adverse reactions. Therefore, researchers have developed a new chemotherapy based on nanotechnology. One of these drugs is the Nanoparticlealbumin-bound Paclitaxel. This nanodrug aims to increase therapeutic index by reducing adverse reactions from solvents and to improve efficacy of conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. Breast cancer is a disease with high epidemiological and economic burden. The treatment of metastatic breast cancer has not only high direct costs but also high indirect costs. Breast cancer affects mass populations, especially women younger than 50 years of age. It relates to high indirect costs due to lost productivity and premature death because the majority of these patients are in the workforce. Because of the high cost of breast cancer therapies and short survival rates, the question is raised whether the costs and benefits are worth paying or not. Due to the rising costs in healthcare and new financing policies that have been developed to address this issue, economic evaluation is an important aspect of the development and use of any new interventions. To guide policy makers on how to allocate limited healthcare resources in the most efficient and effective manner, many economic evaluation methods can be used to measure the costs, benefits, and impacts of healthcare innovations. Currently, economic evaluation and health outcomes studies have focused greatly on cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis. However, the previous studies

Stable, water-soluble and biologically compatible ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) with L-glutathione (GSH) as a capping agent were synthesized in aqueous medium by microwave irradiation. The GSH/Zn/Se molar ratios, reaction temperature, time and pH are the crucial factors for properties of QDs. Fluorescence (FL) spectra, absorption spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra studies showed that the optical properties of QDs were strong, shape of QDs was similar to spherical and the particle size was about 2–3 nm. The 42% quantum yield (QY) of QDs can be achieved without any post-preparative treatment. The interaction of QDs bioconjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was also studied by absorption and FL spectra experiments. With addition of QDs, the FL intensity of BSA was largely quenched, which can be explained by static mechanism. The results suggested the QDs-BSA binding reaction was a static quenching. -- Highlights: • L-glutathione-capped ZnSe quantum dots were synthesized by microwave assisted in aqueous. • The facile synthesis of ZnSe QDs presented is simple and cost-effective. • Findings suggest the QDs possess highly quantum yield and narrow FWHM without any post-treatment. • The interaction mechanism between QDs and BSA is a static quenching.

The interactions of serum albumins such as human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) with emodin, rhein, aloe-emodin and aloin were assessed employing fluorescence quenching and absorption spectroscopic techniques. The results obtained revealed that there are relatively strong binding affinity for the four anthraquinones with HSA and BSA and the binding constants for the interactions of anthraquinones with HSA or BSA at 20 °C were obtained. Anthraquinone-albumin interactions were studied at different temperatures and in the presence of some metal ions. And the competition binding of anthraquinones with serum albumins was also discussed. The Stern-Volmer curves suggested that the quenching occurring in the reactions was the static quenching process. The binding distances and transfer efficiencies for each binding reactions were calculated according to the Föster theory of non-radiation energy transfer. Using thermodynamic equations, the main action forces of these reactions were also obtained. The reasons of the different binding affinities for different anthraquinone-albumin reactions were probed from the point of view of molecular structures.

We synthesized several para-aminophenyl (pap-) mannose-terminated albumins with varying sugar density (Man7-HSA, Man22-HSA, and Man40-HSA) and compared hepatic uptake with (thio-)mannose-terminated bovine serum albumin (Man-43-AI-BSA) The rate of uptake in isolated perfused rat livers was found to

Nanosuspensions emerge as a promising strategy for delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs. Albumin is a versatile protein carrier for drug delivery and targeting. The purpose of this study was to develop a formulation of etoposide-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanosuspensions, to study in vitro characterization, and to estimate the in vivo safety and tissue distribution of etoposide-loaded BSA nanosuspensions for parenteral delivery. Etoposide-loaded BSA nanosuspensions were prepared by high-pressure homogenization-solvent precipitation method. The particle size, zeta potential, drug entrapment efficiency, and drug loading of the lyophilized formulation were 182.3 nm, -22.18 mV, 86.44%, and 8.49% respectively. In vitro release files of the formulation presented sustained release properties. Preliminary safety study was conducted to evaluate the delivery system, and results indicated that myelosuppression effect of the etoposide-loaded BSA nanosuspensions group was significantly lower than the Injection® group. Furthermore, results of tissue distribution studies showed that the concentration and AUC of etoposide were increased significantly in lung, liver, spleen while reduced in heart, kidney compared with the etoposide injection® group after i.v. administration of etoposide-loaded BSA nanosuspensions. The formulation played a role in targeting delivery to lung, reduce toxicity, and side effects of etoposide. In conclusion, etoposide-loaded BSA nanosuspensions were promising for parenteral delivery of etoposide.

In this work, we present evidence on the suitability of spin probes to report on the thermal treatment of bovine serum albumin (BSA), in the temperature range 293-343 K, and indirectly monitor the release of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from its complex with BSA using a covalent gel with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) in the network. The spin probes used, 5- and 7-doxyl-stearic acids (5-DSA, 7-DSA) or 4-(N,N'-dimethyl-N-hexadecyl)ammonium-2,2',6,6'-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl iodide (CAT16), present similar, fatty acid-like structural features. Their continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW-EPR) spectra, however, reflect different dynamics when complexed with BSA: a restricted motion for 5-DSA, almost nonsensitive to the heating/cooling cycle, and a faster temperature-dependent dynamic motion for CAT16. Molecular docking allows us to rationalize these results by revealing the different binding modes of 5-DSA and CAT16. The EPR data on the temperature effect on BSA are supported by circular dichroism results projecting recovery, upon cooling, of the initial binding ability of BSA for samples heated to 323 K. The interactions occurring in BSA/SDS/β-CD systems are investigated by CW-EPR and FT-ESEEM spectroscopies. It is found that the covalent gel containing β-CD can efficiently remove SDS from the BSA/SDS complex. The gel is not permeable to BSA but it can encapsulate SDS, thus yielding the free protein in solution and allowing recovery of the native protein conformation. Collectively, the accrued knowledge supports potential applications in protein purification biotechnological processes.

Bone diseases (including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and bone cancer) are of great concern to the medical world. Drugs are available to treat such diseases, but often these drugs are not specifically targeted to the site of the disease and, thus, lack an immediate directed therapeutic effect. The optimal drug delivery system should enhance healthy bone growth with high specificity to the site of bone disease. It has been previously shown that magnetic nanoparticles can be directed in the presence of a magnetic field to any part of the body, allowing for site-specific drug delivery and possibly an immediate increase in bone density. The objective of the present study was to build off of this evidence and determine the density of osteoblasts (bone forming cells) in the presence of various uncoated and coated magnetic nanoparticles that could eventually be used in drug delivery applications. Results showed that some magnetic nanoparticles (specifically, γ-Fe2O3) significantly promoted osteoblast density (that is, cells per well) after 5 and 8 days of culture compared to controls (no particles). These magnetic nanoparticles were further coated with calcium phosphate (CaP; the main inorganic component of bone) to tailor them for treating various bone diseases. The coatings were conducted in the presence of either bovine serum albumin (BSA) or citric acid (CA) to reduce magnetic nanoparticle agglomeration, a common problem resulting from the use of nanoparticles which decreases their effectiveness. Results with these coatings showed that magnetic nanoparticles, specifically (γ-Fe2O3), coated in the presence of BSA significantly increased osteoblast density compared to controls after 1 day. In this manner, this study provided unexpected evidence that CaP-coated γ-Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles increased osteoblast density (compared to no particles) and, thus, should be further studied to treat numerous bone diseases.

Functional nanocarriers capable of transporting high drug contents without premature leakage and to controllably deliver several drugs are needed for better cancer treatments. To address this clinical need, gold cluster bovine serum albumin (AuNC@BSA) nanogates were engineered on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) for high drug loadings and co-delivery of two different anticancer drugs. The first drug, gemcitabine (GEM, 40 wt%), was loaded in positively-charged ammonium-functionalized MSN (MSN-NH3+). The second drug, doxorubicin (DOX, 32 wt%), was bound with negatively-charged AuNC@BSA electrostatically-attached onto MSN-NH3+, affording highly loaded pH-responsive MSN-AuNC@BSA nanocarriers. The co-delivery of DOX and GEM was achieved for the first time via an inorganic nanocarrier, possessing a zero-premature leakage behavior as well as drug loading capacities seven times higher than polymersome NPs. Besides, unlike the majority of strategies used to cap the pores of MSN, AuNC@BSA nanogates are biotools and were applied for targeted red nuclear staining and in-vivo tumor imaging. The straightforward non-covalent combination of MSN and gold-protein cluster bioconjugates thus leads to a simple, yet multifunctional nanotheranostic for the next generation of cancer treatments.

Bioinorganic topics are ubiquitous in the inorganic chemistry curriculum; however, experiments to enhance understanding of related topics are scarce. In this proposed laboratory, upper undergraduate students assess the biological interaction of molybdenocene dichloride (Cp2MoCl2) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by fluorescence spectroscopy.…

This study investigates the kinetics of adsorption of bovine serum albumin, BSA, in white wine model solutions onto activated carbon, AC, and alumina, AL. Pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order models were applied to determine the rate and mechanism of adsorption of the white wine protein during the haze removal ...

Titanium alloy implants were precoated biomimetically with a thin and dense layer of calcium phosphate and then incubated either in a supersaturated solution of calcium phosphate or in phosphate-buffered saline, each containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) at various concentrations, under

Understanding intermolecular interactions between drugs and proteins is very important in drug delivery studies. Here, we studied different binding interactions between salicylic acid and bovine serum albumin (BSA) using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Salicylic acid was labeled with a stable radical (spin label) in order to monitor its mobilized (free) or immobilized (bound to BSA) states. In addition to spin labeled salicylic acid (SL-salicylic acid), its derivatives including SL-benzoic acid, SL-phenol, SL-benzene, SL-cyclohexane and SL-hexane were synthesized to reveal the effects of various drug binding interactions. EPR results of these SL-molecules showed that hydrophobic interaction is the main driving force. Whereas each of the two functional groups (-COOH and -OH) on the benzene ring has a minute but detectable effect on the drug-protein complex formation. In order to investigate the effect of electrostatic interaction on drug binding, cationic BSA (cBSA) was synthesized, altering the negative net charge of BSA to positive. The salicylic acid loading capacity of cBSA is significantly higher compared to that of BSA, indicating the importance of electrostatic interaction in drug binding. Moreover, the competitive binding properties of salicylic acid, ibuprofen and aspirin to BSA were studied. The combined EPR results of SL-salicylic acid/ibuprofen and SL-ibuprofen/salicylic acid showed that ibuprofen is able to replace up to ∼83% of bound SL-salicylic acid, and salicylic acid can replace only ∼14% of the bound SL-ibuprofen. This indicates that ∼97% of all salicylic acid and ibuprofen binding sites are shared. On the other hand, aspirin replaces only ∼23% of bound SL-salicylic acid, and salicylic acid replaces ∼50% of bound SL-aspirin, indicating that ∼73% of all salicylic acid and aspirin binding sites are shared. These results show that EPR spectroscopy in combination with the spin labeling technique is a very powerful

The substitution of the hydrogen on aromatic and esterification of carboxyl group of the phenol compounds plays an important role in their bio-activities. In this paper, caffeic acid (CaA), chlorogenic acid (ChA) and ferulic acid (FA) were selected to investigate the binding to bovine serum albumin (BSA) using UV absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found that the methoxyl group substituting for the 3-hydroxyl group of CaA decreased the affinity for BSA and the esterification of carboxyl group of CaA with quinic acid increased the affinities. The affinities of ChA and FA with BSA were more sensitive to the temperature than that of CaA with BSA. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence indicated that the Stern-Volmer plots largely deviated from linearity at high concentrations and were caused by complete quenching of the tyrosine fluorescence of BSA.

How much does protein-associated water differ in colligative properties (freezing point, boiling point, vapor pressure and osmotic behavior) from pure bulk water? This question was approached by studying the globular protein bovine serum albumin (BSA), using changes in pH and salt concentration to alter its native structural conformation and state of aggregation. BSA osmotic pressure was investigated experimentally and analyzed using the molecular model of Fullerton et al. [Biochem Cell Biol 1992;70(12):1325]. Analysis yielded both the extent of osmotically unresponsive water (OUW) and the effective molecular weight values of the membrane-impermeable BSA solute. Manipulation of BSA conformation and aggregation by membrane-penetrating cosolutes show that alterations in pH and salt concentration change the amount of bulk water that escapes into BSA from a minimum of 1.4 to a maximum of 11.7 g water per g dry mass BSA.

The interactions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with two local anesthetics, procaine hydrochloride (PCH) and tetracaine hydrochloride (TCH) were studied using spectroscopic methods such as fluorescence and ultraviolet visible (UV-vis), and electrochemical techniques including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulsed stripping voltammetry (DPSV). The results obtained from these techniques turned out that both PCH and TCH could bind to BSA. The binding constants (K{sub A}) and the number of binding sites (n) of the two drugs with BSA at different temperatures were determined, respectively. At 291 K, K{sub A} was found as 2.40x10{sup 4} and 1.42x10{sup 4} L mol{sup -1} and n was 1.03 and 0.99 for PCH-BSA and TCH-BSA, respectively. According to van't Hoff equation, the thermodynamic parameters, {Delta}G, {Delta}H and {Delta}S, were obtained, showing the involvement of hydrophobic and electrostatic force in these interactions. Based on the theory of the Foerster energy transference, the distance between the acceptor (PCH or TCH) and the donor (BSA) were determined as 2.32 and 3.62 nm for PCH and TCH, respectively. The effects of Fe{sup 3+}, Cu{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+}, Mn{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+} and Ca{sup 2+} on the binding of PCH or TCH to BSA were also evaluated. - Research highlights: Procaine or tetracaine hydrochloride quenching the fluorescence of Trp in BSA was a static quenching process. Synchronous fluorescence was applied to study the structural change of BSA. Binding constant, binding site and binding force were determined. Voltammetry techniques further characterized the nature of the interactions of the two drugs with BSA.

The three flavonoids including naringenin, hesperetin and apigenin binding to bovine serum albumin (BSA) at pH 7.4 was studied by fluorescence quenching, synchronous fluorescence and UV-vis absorption spectroscopic techniques. The results obtained revealed that naringenin, hesperetin and apigenin strongly quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA. The Stern-Volmer curves suggested that these quenching processes were all static quenching processes. At 291 K, the value and the order of the binding constant were K A n aringenin) =4.08x10 4 A(hesperetin) =5.40x10 4 ∼K A(apigenin) =5.32x10 4 L mol -1 . The main binding force between the flavonoid and BSA was hydrophobic and electrostatic force. According to the Foerster theory of non-radiation energy transfer, the binding distances (r 0 ) were obtained as 3.36, 3.47 and 3.30 nm for naringenin-BSA, hesperetin-BSA and apigenin-BSA, respectively. The effect of some common ions such as Fe 3+ , Cu 2+ , Mg 2+ , Mn 2+ , Zn 2+ and Ca 2+ on the binding was also studied in detail. The competition binding was also performed. The apparent binding constant (K' A ) obtained suggested that one flavonoid had an obvious effect on the binding of another flavonoid to protein when they coexisted in BSA solution. - Highlights: → Quenchings of BSA fluorescence by the flavonoids was all static quenchings. → Synchronous fluorescence was applied to study the structural change of BSA. → Binding constant, binding site and binding force were determined. → Competition binding experiments were performed. → One flavonoid had an obvious effect on the binding of another one to BSA.

Full Text Available Bovine serum albumin (BSA is an important transport protein of the blood and its aggregation/fibrillation would adversely affect its transport ability leading to metabolic disorder. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of fibrillation/aggregation of BSA and design of suitable inhibitor molecules for stabilizing its native conformation, are of utmost importance. The qualitative and quantitative aspects of the effect of osmolytes (proline, hydroxyproline, glycine betaine, sarcosine and sorbitol on heat induced aggregation/fibrillation of BSA at physiological pH (pH 7.4 have been studied employing a combination of fluorescence spectroscopy, Rayleigh scattering, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC, dynamic light scattering (DLS and transmission electron microscopy (TEM. Formation of fibrils by BSA under the given conditions was confirmed from increase in fluorescence emission intensities of Thioflavin T over a time period of 600 minutes and TEM images. Absence of change in fluorescence emission intensities of 8-Anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid (ANS in presence of native and aggregated BSA signify the absence of any amorphous aggregates. ITC results have provided important insights on the energetics of interaction of these osmolytes with different stages of the fibrillar aggregates of BSA, thereby suggesting the possible modes/mechanism of inhibition of BSA fibrillation by these osmolytes. The heats of interaction of the osmolytes with different stages of fibrillation of BSA do not follow a trend, suggesting that the interactions of stages of BSA aggregates are osmolyte specific. Among the osmolytes used here, we found glycine betaine to be supporting and promoting the aggregation process while hydroxyproline to be maximally efficient in suppressing the fibrillation process of BSA, followed by sorbitol, sarcosine and proline in the following order of their decreasing potency: Hydroxyproline> Sorbitol> Sarcosine> Proline> Glycine betaine.

Highlights: • The interaction and illumination damages of CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots to BSA were studied. • The quenching mechanism of CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots with BSA belongs to dynamic quenching. • The hydrophobic interaction plays a major role; the binding processes are spontaneous. • The FL enhancement of CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots by BSA under UV illumination was observed. • The probable mechanism is mainly a photo-induced free radical procedure. - Abstract: In this study, chitosan coated Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots (CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots) were obtained in aqueous media under ambient pressure. The interaction and illumination damages of CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by means of ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) and fluorescence (FL) spectra. It was found that the FL of BSA was quenched by CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots. The dominating quenching mechanism of CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots with BSA belongs to dynamic quenching. Hydrophobic interaction plays a major role in the CS@ZnS:Mn–BSA interaction; binding processes are spontaneous. Influencing factors such as illumination time and CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots concentrations were considered. The FL quenching effect of BSA by CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots is enhanced with the increase of illumination time and CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots concentration. The FL enhancement of CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots by BSA under UV illumination was also observed. It was proved that, the interaction of CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots with BSA under UV illumination is mainly a result of a photo-induced free radical procedure. CS@ZnS:Mn D-dots may be used as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy.

Full Text Available Interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA and phosphorus heterocycles (PHs was studied using multi-spectroscopic techniques. The results indicated the high binding affinity of PHs to BSA as it quenches the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA. The experimental data suggested the fluorescence quenching mechanism between PHs and BSA as a dynamic quenching. From the UV–vis studies, the apparent association constant (Kapp was found to be 9.25×102, 1.27×104 and 9.01×102 L/mol for the interaction of BSA with PH-1, PH-2 and PH-3 respectively. According to the Förster's non-radiation energy transfer (FRET theory, the binding distances between BSA and PHs were calculated. The binding distances (r of PH-1, PH-2 and PH-3 were found to be 2.86, 3.03, and 5.12 nm, respectively, indicating energy transfer occurs between BSA and PHs. The binding constants of the PHs obtained from the fluorescence quenching data were found to be decreased with increase of temperature. The negative values of the thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔS and ΔG at different temperatures revealed that the binding process is spontaneous; hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interaction were the main force to stabilize the complex. The microenvironment of the protein-binding site was studied by synchronous fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD techniques and data indicated that the conformation of BSA changed in the presence of PHs. Finally, we studied the BSA-PHs docking using Autodock and results suggest that PHs is located in the cleft between the domains of BSA.

To evaluate the toxicity of two fluoroquinolones (FQs), ciprofloxacin (CPFX), and enrofloxacin (ENFX), at the protein level, their binding modes with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were characterized by multiple spectroscopic and molecular docking methods under simulated physiological conditions. On the basis of fluorescence spectra, we concluded that both FQs greatly quenched the fluorescence intensity of BSA, which was attributed to the formation of a moderately strong complex mainly through electrostatic interactions. Besides, CPFX posed more of an affinity threat than ENFX. The molecular docking methods further illustrated that both CPFX and ENFX could bind into the subdomain IIIA of BSA and interact with Arg 508 and Lys 437, the positively charged residues in protein. Furthermore, as shown by the synchronous fluorescence, UV-Visible absorption and circular dichroism data, both CPFX and ENFX could lead to the conformational and microenvironmental changes of BSA, which may affect its physiological function.

Full Text Available Binding of therapeutic agents to plasma proteins, particularly to serum albumin, provides valuable information in the drug development. This study was designed to evaluate the binding interaction of neratinib with bovine serum albumin (BSA. Neratinib blocks HER2 signaling and is effective in trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer treatment. Spectrofluorometric, UV spectrophotometric, and fourier transform infrared (FT-IR and molecular docking experiments were performed to study this interaction. The fluorescence of BSA is attributed to the presence of tryptophan (Trp residues. The fluorescence of BSA in presence of neratinib was studied using the excitation wavelength of 280 nm and the emission was measured at 300-500 nm at three different temperatures. Neratinib quenched the BSA intrinsic fluorescence by static mechanism. A complex formation occurred due to the interaction leading to BSA absorption shift. The fluorescence, UV- absorption, three dimensional fluorescence and FT-IR data showed conformational changes occurred in BSA after interaction with neratinib. The binding constant values decreased as the temperature increased suggesting an instable complex formation at high temperature. Site I (sub-domain IIA was observed as the principal binding site for neratinib. Hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals forces were suggested to be involved in the BSA-neratinib interaction due to the negative values of entropy and enthalpy changes.

Compared to neutral globular proteins, neutral polysaccharides, such as dextran, pullulan and Ficoll, appear hyperpermeable across the glomerular filtration barrier. This has been attributed to an increased flexibility and/or asymmetry of polysaccharides. The present study investigates whether polysaccharides are hyperpermeable also across the continuous capillaries in the rat peritoneum. In anaesthetized Wistar rats, FITC-Ficoll or FITC-pullulan together with (125)I-human serum albumin (RISA) or neutralized (125)I-bovine serum albumin (nBSA) were given intravenously, after which peritoneal dialysis (PD) using conventional PD fluid (Gambrosol 1.5%) was performed for 120 min. Concentrations of FITC-polysaccharides and radioactive albumin species in plasma and dialysis fluid were analysed with high-performance size exclusion chromatography and a gamma counter respectively. Transperitoneal clearance values were calculated for polysaccharides in the molecular radius range 36-150 A, and for RISA and nBSA. Ficoll and pullulan showed more or less identical permeabilities, compared to RISA and nBSA, across the peritoneal membrane. Although RISA-clearance, 5.50 +/- 0.28 (microL min(-1); +/-SEM), tended to be lower than the clearances of Ficoll(36A) (6.55 +/- 0.25), pullulan(36A) (6.08 +/- 0.22) and nBSA (6.56 +/- 0.23), the difference was not statistically significant. This is in contrast to the hyperpermeability exhibited by polysaccharides across the glomerular filtration barrier and also contrasts with the charge selectivity of the latter. The phenomenon of molecular flexibility is more important for a macromolecule's permeability through the glomerular filter than across the continuous peritoneal capillary endothelium. Furthermore, it seems that charge plays a subordinate role in the steady-state transport across the combined peritoneal capillary-interstitial barrier.

In order to evaluate biological potential of a novel synthesized complex [Nd(dmp) 2 Cl 3 .OH 2 ] where dmp is 29-dimethyl 110-phenanthroline, the DNA-binding, cleavage, BSA binding, and antimicrobial activity properties of the complex are investigated by multispectroscopic techniques study in physiological buffer (pH 7.2).The intrinsic binding constant (K b ) for interaction of Nd(III) complex and FS-DNA is calculated by UV-Vis (K b = 2.7 ± 0.07 × 10 5 ) and fluorescence spectroscopy (K b = 1.13 ± 0.03 × 10 5 ). The Stern-Volmer constant (K SV ), thermodynamic parameters including free energy change (ΔG°), enthalpy change (∆H°), and entropy change (∆S°), are calculated by fluorescent data and Vant' Hoff equation. The experimental results show that the complex can bind to FS-DNA and the major binding mode is groove binding. Meanwhile, the interaction of Nd(III) complex with protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), has also been studied by using absorption and emission spectroscopic tools. The experimental results show that the complex exhibits good binding propensity to BSA. The positive ΔH° and ∆S° values indicate that the hydrophobic interaction is main force in the binding of the Nd(III) complex to BSA, and the complex can quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA remarkably through a static quenching process. Also, DNA cleavage was investigated by agarose gel electrophoresis that according to the results cleavage of DNA increased with increasing of concentration of the complex. Antimicrobial screening test gives good results in the presence of Nd(III) complex system.

Nonenzymatic glycation, also known as Maillard reaction, plays an important role in the secondary complications of the diabetic pathology and aging, therefore, human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were glycated by a conventional method in our laboratory using glucose as the glycating agent. Fluorescence lifetime measurements were carried out with a laser strobe fluorometer equipped with a nitrogen/dye laser and a frequency doubler as a pulsed excitation source. The samples were excited at 295 nm and the emission spectra were recorded at 345 nm. The obtained decay curves were tried for double and triple exponential functions. It has been found that the shorter lifetime increases for glycated proteins as compared with that of the native ones. For example, in the case of glycated BSA the lifetime increased from 1.36 ns to 2.30 ns. Similarly, for HSA, the lifetime increases from 1.58 ns to 2.26 ns. Meanwhile, the longer lifetime changed very slightly for both proteins (from 6.52 ns to 6.72 ns). The increase in the lifetime can be associated with the environmental effect; originated from the attachment of glucose to some lysine residues. A good example is Trp 214 which is in the cage of Lys 225, Lys 212, Lys 233, Lys 205, Lys 500, Lys 199 and Lys 195. If fluorescence lifetime technique is calibrated and properly used it could be employed for assessing glycation of proteins.

A 33-year-old woman without history of previous atopic diseases or drug allergies developed a severe anaphylactic reaction with asthma, vomiting, itching, generalized urticaria, and angioedema during artificial insemination with her husband's sperm. The sperm-processing medium contained bovine serum albumin (BSA). Skin prick test and RAST demonstrated an IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to BSA as well as a polyvalent atopic sensitization to pollens, animal danders, cow's milk, beef, pork, and mutton. SDS-PAGE studies indicated serum albumin to be the appropriate allergen with a high degree of cross-reactivity between serum albumin from different animal species. Artificial insemination with fluid containing potential allergens can, therefore, represent an unnecessary risk for atopic females, even in the absence of prior clinical symptoms of allergic diseases. Preoperative testing with the medium is recommended.

A new salicylaldehyde derived 2,4-diiodo-6-((2-phenylaminoethylimino)methyl)phenol Schiff base(L) and its transition metal complexes of the type MLCl where, M = Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Mn(II) and Zn(II) have been synthesized. The coordination mode of Schiff base holding NNO donor atoms with metal ions was well investigated by elemental analysis, ESI-mass as well as IR, UV-vis, CV and NMR spectral studies. The binding efficiency and mode of these complexes with biological macromolecules viz., herring sperm DNA (HS- DNA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been explored through various spectroscopic techniques. The characteristic changes in absorption, emission and, circular dichroism spectra of the complexes with DNA indicate the noticeable interaction between them. From the all spectral information complexes could interact with DNA via non-intercalation mode of binding. The hyperchromisim in absorption band and hypochromisim in emission intensity of BSA with different complex concentrations shown significant information, and the binding affinity value has been predicted from Stern-Volmer plots. Further, all the complexes could cleave the circular plasmid pUC19 DNA efficiently by using an activator H2O2. The ligand and all metal(II) complexes showed good antibacterial activities. The molecular docking studies of the complexes with DNA were performed in order to make a comparison and conclusion with spectral technic results.

One of the biggest impacts that the nanotechnology has made on medicine and biology, has been in the area of drug delivery systems (DDSs). Many drugs suffer from serious problems concerning insolubility, instability in biological environments, poor uptake into cells and tissues, sub-optimal selectivity for targets and unwanted side effects. Nanocarriers can be designed as DDSs to overcome many of these drawbacks. One of the most versatile building blocks to prepare these nanocarriers is the ubiquitous, readily available and inexpensive protein, serum albumin. Areas covered: This review covers the use of different types of albumin (human, bovine, rat, and chicken egg) to prepare nanoparticle and microparticle-based structures to bind drugs. Various methods have been used to modify the albumin structure. A range of targeting ligands can be attached to the albumin that can be recognized by specific cell receptors that are expressed on target cells or tissues. Expert opinion: The particular advantages of albumin used in DDSs include ready availability, ease of chemical modification, good biocompatibility, and low immunogenicity. The regulatory approvals that have been received for several albumin-based therapeutic agents suggest that this approach will continue to be successfully explored.

The interaction between 8-azaguanine (8-Azan) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in Tris-HCl buffer solutions at pH 7.4 was investigated by means of fluorescence and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. At 298 K and 310 K, at a wavelength of excitation (λ (ex)) of 282 nm, the fluorescence intensity decreased significantly with increasing concentrations of 8-Azan. Fluorescence static quenching was observed for BSA, which was attributed to the formation of a complex between 8-Azan and BSA during the binding reaction. This was illuminated further by the UV-Vis absorption spectra and the decomposition of the fluorescence spectra. The thermodynamic parameters ∆G, ∆H, ∆S were calculated. The results showed that the forces acting between 8-Azan and BSA were typical hydrophobic forces, and that the interaction process was spontaneous. The interaction distance r between 8-Azan and BSA, evaluated according to fluorescence resonance energy transfer theory, suggested that there is a high possibility of energy transfer from BSA to 8-Azan. Theoretical investigations based on homology modeling and molecular docking suggested that binding between 8-Azan and BSA is dominated by hydrophilic forces and hydrogen bonding. The theoretical investigations provided a good structural basis to explain the phenomenon of fluorescence quenching between 8-Azan and BSA.

The mechanism of interaction of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, isoxicam (IXM) and tenoxicam (TXM) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been studied using spectroscopic techniques, viz., spectrofluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), UV-visible absorption and FT-IR under simulative physiological conditions. Stern-Volmer analysis of fluorescence quenching data shows the presence of the static quenching mechanism. Thermodynamic parameters (negative {Delta}H{sup 0} and positive {Delta}S{sup 0} values obtained in the present study) revealed that the hydrophobic interactions played a major role in the interaction of these drugs with BSA. The distance, r between the donor (BSA) and acceptor (IXM/TXM) was calculated based on the Forster's theory of non-radiation energy transfer and the values were observed to be 3.85 nm and 2.60 nm in IXM-BSA and TXM-BSA system, respectively. CD and FT-IR studies indicated that the binding of IXM/TXM to BSA induced conformational changes in BSA. The effect of common ions on the binding of IXM/TXM to BSA has been investigated.

Full Text Available The interaction between the anti-HIV drug Elvitegravir (EVG and bovine serum albumin (BSA was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and UV-visible absorption spectra. The mechanism for quenching the fluorescence of BSA by EVG is discussed. It was found that EVG can quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA through a static quenching procedure. The quenching type, association constant, and number of binding sites were investigated. The binding constant of EVG with BSA was calculated at different temperatures based on fluorescence quenching results. The thermodynamic parameters ΔHθ, ΔGθ, and ΔSθ were determined. The positive ΔSθ and negative ΔHθ and ΔGθ values showed that a spontaneous interaction may involve both roles of hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding. The interaction of BSA with EVG was also confirmed by UV absorption spectra. The average distance, r, between donor (BSA and acceptor (EVG was obtained according to Förster’s theory of nonradiation energy transfer. Synchronous fluorescence and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra were used to investigate the conformational change of BSA molecules that occur upon addition of EVG and showed, upon binding, a possibility of increasing hydrophobicity around tryptophan residues of BSA.

Interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with the solvent spread monolayer of a catanionic surfactant, octadecyltrimethylammonium dodecylsulfate, (C{sub 18}TA{sup +}DS{sup -}) at the air-buffer interface was investigated by measuring the surface pressure with time and change in surface area. Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) was used as reference. Kinetics of BSA desorption from the interface to the buffer subphase, that of C{sub 18}TA{sup +}DS{sup -} and DPPC through their interaction with BSA, were also studied at different BSA concentrations (in the subphase) and surface pressures. Surface pressure ({pi})-area (A) isotherms (at pH = 5.4, {mu} = 0.01, T = 298 K) revealed that the coacervate/DPPC monolayer becomes expanded in the presence of BSA at low {pi} while their protein bound species are released into the subphase at high {pi}. Film morphology, studied by epifluorescence microscopy (EFM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), reveals that the sizes of the domains of both DPPC and coacervate decrease in the presence of BSA. Presence of BSA in the coacervate and DPPC monolayer was supported from AFM data analysis. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Effect of BSA on the functionality and structure of C{sub 18}TA{sup +}DS{sup -}/DPPC at the air-buffer interface was studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer BSA molecules coadsorb at lower surface pressure, while they abstract amphiphiles at higher surface pressure into the bulk. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Kinetic studies of adsorption/desorption of BSA at/from the interface were performed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Organized amphiphiles are perturbed in the presence of BSA.

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study is to test the potency of bovine serum albumin (BSA conjugated ampicillin (AMP and enrofloxacin (ENR antigens in eliciting an immune response in rats using indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA. Materials and Methods: AMP and ENR antibiotics were conjugated with BSA by carbodiimide reaction using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide (EDC as a cross-linker. The successful conjugation was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Sprague-Dawley rats were immunized with the conjugates and blood samples were collected serially at 15 days time interval after first immunization plus first booster, second booster, third booster, and the fourth sampling was done 1½ month after the third booster. The antibody titres in the antisera of each antibiotic in all the four immunization cycles (ICs were determined by an icELISA at various serum dilutions ranging from 1/100 to 1/6400. Results: Analysis of antibiotic-BSA conjugates by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and coomassie blue staining revealed high molecular weight bands of 85 kDa and 74 kDa for AMP-BSA and ENR-BSA respectively when compared to 68 kDa band of BSA. Both the antibiotic conjugates elicited a good immune response in rats but comparatively the response was more with AMP-BSA conjugate than ENR-BSA conjugate. Maximum optical density 450 value of 2.577 was recorded for AMP-BSA antisera, and 1.723 was recorded for ENR-BSA antisera at 1/100th antiserum dilution in third IC. Conclusion: AMP and ENR antibiotics proved to be good immunogens when conjugated to BSA by carbodiimide reaction with EDC as crosslinker. The polyclonal antibodies produced can be employed for detecting AMP and ENR residues in milk and urine samples.

Full Text Available The interaction of baicalein with bovine serum albumin (BSA was investigated with the help of spectroscopic and molecular docking studies. The binding affinity of baicalein towards BSA was estimated to be in order of 105 M−1 from fluorescence quenching studies. Negative ΔH° (−5.66±0.14 kJ/mol and positive (ΔS° (+79.96±0.65 J/mol K indicate the presence of electrostatic interactions along with the hydrophobic forces that result in a positive ΔS°. The hydrophobic association of baicalein with BSA diminishes in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS due to probable hydrophobic association of baicalein with SDS, resulting in a negative ΔS° (−40.65±0.87 J/mol K. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight (MALDI--TOF experiments indicate a 1:1 complexation between baicalein and BSA. The unfolding and refolding phenomena of BSA were investigated in the absence and presence of baicalein using steady-state and fluorescence lifetime measurements. It was observed that the presence of urea ruptured the non-covalent interaction between baicalein and BSA. The presence of metal ions (Ag+, Mg2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Co2+and Zn2+ increased the binding affinity of ligand towards BSA. The changes in conformational aspects of BSA after ligand binding were also investigated using circular dichroism (CD and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. Site selectivity studies following molecular docking analyses indicated the binding of baicalein to site 1 (subdomain IIA of BSA.

The interaction between norfloxacin and bovine serum albumin, and the influence of Zinc (II) on the system of norfloxacin and bovine serum albumin was studied under physiological condition by fluorescence method. It was shown that norfloxacin has a powerful ability to quench the BSA fluorescence via a nonradiative energy transfer mechanism. The fluorescence quenching data were analyzed according to Stern-Volmer equation and double-reciprocal equation, and the binding constant (K) and the binding sites (n) were obtained. In the system of binary complex of NFLX and BSA, K = 6.80 x 10(5) and n = 1.21. There is a strong combination between NFLX and BSA, which offers the condition for the serum protein to be deposited and transported in vivo. Besides, the combination between NFLX and BSA becomes stronger in the presence of Zinc (II). According to Stern-Volmer equation and double-reciprocal equation, the concentration of Znic (II) is denser, and the binding constant (K) and the binding sites (n) are bigger. By studying the binding interaction between Zinc (II), norfloxacin and BSA, the mechanism of the interaction among norfloxacin, Zinc (II) and protein in organism, is furtherly discussed.

The interaction between the antimicrobial drug sulfamethazine (STM) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been studied using steady state and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. Fluorescence emission data revealed that BSA (2x10{sup -6} M) fluorescence was statically quenched by STM at various concentrations, which implies that STM-BSA complex has been formed. The fluorescence emission data was analyzed via applying the Stern-Volmer analysis in combination with thermodynamic investigation, where obtained results revealed that quenching is static with quenching constants of 2.371, 1.658, and 0.916x10{sup 5} M{sup -1} at 298, 304, and 310 K, respectively. Binding constants and number of binding sites at different temperatures were also determined by applying the Scatchard method, which in turn were used to construct the van't Hoff plot in order to estimate the enthalpy ({Delta}H) and entropy changes ({Delta}S) for the complexation process. An average of 1.00{+-}0.17 was estimated for the number of sites of BSA, which indicated that STM binds to BSA with stoichiometric ratio of 1:1. The values that were estimated from the van't Hoff plot for {Delta}H and ({Delta}S) were -36.8 kJ mol{sup -1} and -14.9 J mol{sup -1} K{sup -1}, respectively, which indicate that the STM-BSA complex is stabilized with hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions. Synchronous fluorescence data was obtained at {Delta}{lambda} of 15 and 60 nm, where obtained results confirmed that STM binds to BSA at the tryptophan residue (Trp. 213). In addition, the distance between STM and the Trp. 213 was estimated via employing the Foerster's non-radiative energy-transfer theory, and was found to be 2.73 nm, which in turn indicated that STM can bind to BSA with high probability. - Research highlights: {yields} Fluorescence data was used to demonstrate that BSA fluorescence can be quenched by STM. {yields} STM can bind to BSA with stoichiometric ratio of 1:1. {yields} STM-BSA complex is

The interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and prulifloxacin was investigated by ultraviolet spectrophotometer (UV) and fluorescence spectroscopy in this paper. Two-dimensional (2D) correlation spectroscopy was applied to the analysis of fluorescence spectra. The results of spectroscopic measurements suggested that prulifloxacin (PL) have a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of bovine serum albumin through static quenching procedure. Thermodynamic parameter enthalpy c...

This present investigation has revealed that steady state as well as time-resolved fluorescence techniques can serve as highly sensitive monitors for exploring the interaction of fluorescent probe 1-anthracene sulphonate (1-AS) with model transport proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA).We have focused on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between excited tryptophan in transport proteins to 1-AS, for the study of relaxation dynamics of biological molecules.

This work reports a new experimental methodology for the synthesis of ultra small zinc sulfide and iron doped zinc sulfide quantum dots in aqueous media. The nanoparticles were obtained using a simple procedure based on the precipitation of ZnS in aqueous solution in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol as a capping agent, at room temperature. The effect of Fe(3+) ion concentration as dopant on the optical properties of ZnS was studied. The size of quantum dots was determined to be about 1nm, using scanning tunneling microscopy. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence emission spectroscopies. The presence and amount of iron impurity in the structure of Zn((1-x))Fe(x)S nanocrystals were confirmed by atomic absorption spectrometry. A blue shift in band-gap of ZnS was observed upon increasing incorporation of Fe(3+) ion in the iron doped zinc sulfide quantum dots. The photoluminescence investigations showed that, in the case of iron doped ZnS nanoparticles, the emission band of pure ZnS nanoparticles at 427nm shifts to 442nm with appearance of a new sharp emission band around 532nm. The X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the iron doped nanoparticles are crystalline, with cubic zinc blend structure, having particle diameters of 1.7±022nm. Finally, the interaction of the synthesized nanoparticles with bovine serum albumin was investigated at pH 7.2. The UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic methods were applied to compare the optical properties of pure and iron doped ZnS quantum dots upon interaction with BSA. It was proved that, in both cases, the fluorescence quenching of BSA by the quantum dots is mainly a result of the formation of QDs-BSA complex in solution. In the steady-state fluorescence studies, the interaction parameters including binding constants (K(a)), number of binding sites (n), quenching constants ( [Formula: see text] ), and bimolecular quenching rate constants (k

The interaction of sorbitol and bovine serum album (BSA) was studied by fluorescence and ultraviolet absorption spectra. As it is well known to us, the interactional analysis between small molecular drug and biology macromolecule (such as protein, DNA, etc) is one of the important interactional analyses, which can not only offer new biological view but also supply chance for chemist and biochemist to synthesize new drug capable of regulating the biology process effectively. In the present paper, fluorescence spectrophotometry was first employed to study the interaction between BSA and sorbitol. At the same time, the synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy was adopted to review the configuration of BSA influenced by sorbitol, which provides important significance for clinical medication. The results show that sorbitol has strongly quenched the fluorescence of bovine serum albumin in natural physiological condition, the quenching mechanism is a static quenching procedure at different temperatures and drug concentration, and the variational absorption spectra also proves this deduction. At the same time, this article has also examined the influences of sorbitol on the fluorescence quenching of bovine serum albumin at different temperatures and drug concentration. The binding constants and the number of binding sites between sorbitol and BSA were calculated at different temperatures. Furthermore, the enthalpy and entropy changes in the interaction of sorbitol and bovine serum album were also obtained by the equations of Stern-Volmer and Lineweaver-Burk. From the thermodynamic parameters, it can be judged that the primary binding power between sorbitol and BSA is electrostatic force. Moreover, the synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy was applied to examine the effect of sorbitol on the configuration of BSA. The alterative configuration of BSA may be induced by the hydrophobicity environment of tyrosine with the increase in drug concentration. In conclusion, the

The interactions of mitomycin C (MMC), fluorouracil (FU), mercaptopurine (MP) and doxorubicin hydrochloride (DXR) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by spectroscopic method. Quenching of fluorescence of serum albumin by these drugs was found to be a static quenching process. The binding constants (K{sub A}) were 9.66x10{sup 3}, 2.08x10{sup 3}, 8.20x10{sup 2} and 7.50x10{sup 3} L mol{sup -1} for MMC-, FU-, MP- and DXR-BSA, respectively, at pH 7.4 Britton-Robinson buffer at 28 deg. C. The thermodynamic functions such as enthalpy change ({delta}H), entropy change ({delta}S) and Gibbs free-energy change ({delta}G) for the reactions were also calculated according to the thermodynamic equations. The main forces in the interactions of these drugs with BSA were evaluated. It was found that the interactions of MMC and FU with BSA were exothermic processes and those of MP and DXR with BSA were endothermic. In addition, the binding sites on BSA for the four drugs were probed by the changes of binding properties of these drugs with BSA in the presence of two important site markers such as ibuprofen and indomethacin. Based on the Foester theory of non-radiation energy transfer, the binding distances between the drugs and tryptophane were calculated and they were 3.00, 1.14, 2.85, and 2.79 nm for MMC, FU, MP and DXR, respectively.

The health benefits stemming from green tea are well known, but the exact mechanism of its biological activity is not elucidated. Epicatechin (EC) and epicatechin gallate (ECG) are two dietary catechins ubiquitously present in green tea. Serum albumins functionally carry these catechins through the circulatory system and eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced injury. In the present study ECG is observed to have higher antioxidant activity; which is attributed to the presence of galloyl moiety. The binding affinity of these catechins to bovine serum albumin (BSA) will govern the efficacy of their biological activity. EC and ECG bind with BSA with binding constants 1.0 × 10(6) M(-1) and 6.6 × 10(7) M(-1), respectively. Changes in secondary structure of BSA on interaction with EC and ECG have been identified by circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Thermodynamic characterization reveals the binding process to be exothermic, spontaneous and entropy driven. Mixed binding forces (hydrophobic, electrostatic and hydrogen bonding) exist between ECG and BSA. Binding site for EC is primarily site-II in sub-domain IIIA of BSA and for ECG; it is site-I in sub-domain IIA. ECG with its high antioxidant activity accompanied by high affinity for BSA could be a model in drug designing.

Full Text Available The health benefits stemming from green tea are well known, but the exact mechanism of its biological activity is not elucidated. Epicatechin (EC and epicatechin gallate (ECG are two dietary catechins ubiquitously present in green tea. Serum albumins functionally carry these catechins through the circulatory system and eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS induced injury. In the present study ECG is observed to have higher antioxidant activity; which is attributed to the presence of galloyl moiety. The binding affinity of these catechins to bovine serum albumin (BSA will govern the efficacy of their biological activity. EC and ECG bind with BSA with binding constants 1.0 × 10(6 M(-1 and 6.6 × 10(7 M(-1, respectively. Changes in secondary structure of BSA on interaction with EC and ECG have been identified by circular dichroism (CD and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR spectroscopy. Thermodynamic characterization reveals the binding process to be exothermic, spontaneous and entropy driven. Mixed binding forces (hydrophobic, electrostatic and hydrogen bonding exist between ECG and BSA. Binding site for EC is primarily site-II in sub-domain IIIA of BSA and for ECG; it is site-I in sub-domain IIA. ECG with its high antioxidant activity accompanied by high affinity for BSA could be a model in drug designing.

Full Text Available The preconcentration of proteins with low concentrations can be used to increase the sensitivity and accuracy of detection. A nonlinear electrokinetic flow is induced in a nanofluidic channel due to the overlap of electrical double layers, resulting in the fast accumulation of proteins, referred to as the exclusion-enrichment effect. The proposed chip for protein preconcentration was fabricated using simple standard soft lithography with a polydimethylsiloxane replica. This study extends our previous paper, in which gold nanoparticles were manually deposited onto the surface of a protein preconcentrator. In the present work, nanofractures were formed by utilizing the self-assembly of gold-nanoparticle-assisted electric breakdown. This reliable method for nanofracture formation, involving self-assembled monolayers of nanoparticles at the junction gap between microchannels, also decreases the required electric breakdown voltage. The experimental results reveal that a high concentration factor of 1.5×10(4 for a protein sample with an extremely low concentration of 1 nM was achieved in 30 min by using the proposed chip, which is faster than our previously proposed chip at the same conditions. Moreover, an immunoassay of bovine serum albumin (BSA and anti-BSA was carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed chip.

Albumin, the major serum protein, plays a variety of functions, including binding and transporting endogenous and exogenous ligands. Its molecular structure is sensitive to different environmental modifiers, among which glucose is one of the most significant. In vivo albumin glycation occurs under physiological conditions, but it is increased in diabetes. Since bovine serum albumin (BSA) may serve as a model protein in in vitro experiments, we aimed to investigate the impact of glucose-mediated BSA glycation on the binding capacity towards gliclazide, as well as the ability of this drug to prevent glycation of the BSA molecule. To reflect normo- and hyperglycemia, the conditions of the glycation process were established. Structural changes of albumin after interaction with gliclazide (0-14 μM) were determined using fluorescence quenching and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Moreover, thermodynamic parameters as well as energy transfer parameters were determined. Calculated Stern-Volmer quenching constants, as well as binding constants for the BSA-gliclazide complex, were lower for the glycated form of albumin than for the unmodified protein. The largest, over 2-fold, decrease in values of binding parameters was observed for the sample with 30 mM of glucose, reflecting the poorly controlled diabetic state, which indicates that the degree of glycation had a critical influence on binding with gliclazide. In contrast to significant changes in the tertiary structure of BSA upon binding with gliclazide, only slight changes in the secondary structure were observed, which was reflected by about a 3% decrease of the α-helix content of glycated BSA (regardless of glucose concentration) in comparison to unmodified BSA. The presence of gliclazide during glycation did not affect its progress. The results of this study indicate that glycation significantly changed the binding ability of BSA towards gliclazide and the scale of these changes depended on glucose concentration. It

Terahertz spectroscopy was used to study the absorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in water. The Diamond Light Source operating in a low alpha mode generated coherent synchrotron radiation that covered a useable spectral bandwidth of 0.3-3.3 THz (10-110 cm(-1)). As the BSA concentration was raised, there was a nonlinear change in absorption inconsistent with Beer's law. At low BSA concentrations (0-1 mM), the absorption remained constant or rose slightly. Above a concentration of 1 mM BSA, a steady decrease in absorption was observed, which was followed by a plateau that started at 2.5 mM. Using a overlapping hydration layer model, the hydration layer was estimated to extend 15 Å from the protein. Calculation of the corrected absorption coefficient (αcorr) for the water around BSA by subtracting the excluded volume of the protein provides an alternative approach to studying the hydration layer that provides evidence for complexity in the population of water around BSA.

In this paper, the interaction between barbital and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by the method of fluorescence spectroscopy under simulative physiological conditions. Fluorescence data revealed that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by barbital was the result of the formation of BSA-barbital complex, and the effective quenching constants (K{sub a}) were 1.468x10{sup 4}, 1.445x10{sup 4} and 1.403x10{sup 4} M{sup -1} at 297, 303 and 310 K, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters enthalpy change (DELTAH) and entropy change (DELTAS) for the reaction were calculated to be -2.679 kJ mol{sup -1} and 70.76 J mol{sup -1} K{sup -1}, respectively, according to the van't Hoff equation. The results indicated that hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions were the dominant intermolecular force in stabilizing the complex. The results of synchronous fluorescence spectra showed that binding of barbital with BSA can induce conformational changes in BSA. In addition, the effects of Cu{sup 2+} and Zn{sup 2+} on the constants of BSA-barbital complex were also discussed.

The interaction of crythrosine B (ErB), a commonly used dye for coloring foods and drinks, with bovine scrum albumin (BSA) was investigated both in the absence and presence of bilirubin (BR) using absorption and absorption difference spectroscopy. ErB binding to BSA was reflected from a significant red shift of 11 nm in the absorption maximum of ErB (527 nm) with the change in absorbance at lamdamax. Analysis of absorption difference spectroscopic titration results of BSA with increasing concentrations of ErB3 using Benesi-Hildebrand equation gave the association constant, K as 6.9 x 10(4) M(-1). BR displacing action of ErB was revealed by a significant blue shift in the absorption maximum, accompanied by a decrease in absorbance difference at lamdamax in the difference spectrum of BR-BSA complex upon addition of increasing concentrations of ErB. This was further substantiated by fluorescence spectroscopy, as addition of increasing concentrations of ErB to BR-BSA complex caused a significant decrease in fluoresccnce at 510 nm. The results suggest that ErB binds to a site in the vicinity of BR binding site on BSA. Therefore, intake of ErB may increase the risk of hyperbilirubinemia in the healthy subjects.

Yu Xianyong; Yang Ying; Liu Ronghua; Huang Haowen; Chen Jian; Ji Danhong [Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry and Molecular Simulation of Ministry of Education, Hunan Province College Key Laboratory of QSAR/QSPR, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201 (China); Li Xiaofang, E-mail: fine_chem@163.co [Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry and Molecular Simulation of Ministry of Education, Hunan Province College Key Laboratory of QSAR/QSPR, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201 (China); Yang Fengxian [Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry and Molecular Simulation of Ministry of Education, Hunan Province College Key Laboratory of QSAR/QSPR, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201 (China); Yi Pinggui, E-mail: pgyi@hnust.c [Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry and Molecular Simulation of Ministry of Education, Hunan Province College Key Laboratory of QSAR/QSPR, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201 (China)

2011-07-15

The fluorescence and ultraviolet spectroscopies were explored to study the interaction between edaravone (EDA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) under imitated physiological condition. The experimental results show that the fluorescence quenching mechanism between EDA and BSA is a combined quenching (dynamic and static quenching). The binding constants, binding sites, and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters ({Delta}G, {Delta}H, and {Delta}S) of the interaction system were calculated at different temperatures. According to Foerster non-radiation energy transfer theory, the binding distance between EDA and BSA was calculated to be 3.10 nm. The effect of EDA on the conformation of BSA was analyzed using synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition, the effects of some common metal ions Mg{sup 2+}, Ca{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, and Ni{sup 2+} on the binding constant between EDA and BSA were examined. - Highlights: {yields} We explored the interaction of BSA and EDA using spectroscopic methods. {yields} The fluorescence quenching mechanism is combined quenching. {yields} Hydrophobic interaction force plays a major role in stabilizing the complex. {yields} The binding constants, binding sites, and thermodynamic parameters were calculated. {yields} EDA affects the conformation of tryptophan residue's microregion.

Full Text Available Flavonoids are structurally diverse and the most ubiquitous groups of dietary polyphenols distributed in various fruits and vegetables. In this study, the interaction between five flavonoids, namely formononetin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, calycosin- 7-O-β-D-glucoside, calycosin, rutin, and quercetin, and bovine serum albumin (BSA was investigated by fluorescence and UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy. In the discussion, it was proved that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by flavonoids was a result of the formation of a flavonoid-BSA complex. Fluorescence quenching constants were determined using the Stern-Volmer and Lineweaver-Burk equations to provide a measure of the binding affinity between the flavonoids and BSA. The binding constants ranked in the order quercetin > rutin > calycosin > calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside ≈ formononetin-7-O-β-D-glucoside. The results of thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS at different temperatures indicated that the hydrophobic interaction played a major role in flavonoid-BSA association. The distance r between BSA and acceptor flavonoids was also obtained according to Förster’s theory of non-radiative energy transfer.

The cation-exchange resin-mixed polyethersulfone (PES)-based fibrous adsorbents were developed to study their adsorption behavior with bovine serum albumin (BSA). A fibrous adsorbent with an open pore surface had much better adsorption behavior with a higher adsorbing rate. The adsorption capacity

Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted nanoparticles can be used to deliver a therapeutic and imaging agent to EGFR-overexpressing tumor cells. (131)I-labeled anti-EGFR nanoparticles derived from cetuximab were used as a tumor-targeting vehicle in radionuclide therapy. This paper describes the construction of the anti-EGFR nanoparticle EGFR-BSA-PCL. This nanoparticle was characterized for EGFR-targeted binding and cellular uptake in EGFR-overexpressing cancer cells by using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Anti-EGFR and non-targeted nanoparticles were labeled with (131)I using the chloramine-T method. Analyses of cytotoxicity and targeted cell killing with (131)I were performed using the MTT assay. The time-dependent cellular uptake of (131)I-labeled anti-EGFR nanoparticles proved the slow-release effects of nanoparticles. A radioiodine therapy study was also performed in mice. The EGFR-targeted nanoparticle EGFR-BSA-PCL and the non-targeted nanoparticleBSA-PCL were constructed; the effective diameters were approximately 100 nm. The results from flow cytometry and confocal microscopy revealed significant uptake of EGFR-BSA-PCL in EGFR-overexpressing tumor cells. Compared with EGFR-BSA-PCL, BSA-PCL could also bind to cells, but tumor cell retention was minimal and weak. In MTT assays, the EGFR-targeted radioactive nanoparticle (131)I-EGFR-BSA-PCL showed greater cytotoxicity and targeted cell killing than the non-targeted nanoparticle (131)I-BSA-PCL. The radioiodine uptake of both (131)I-labeled nanoparticles, (131)I-EGFR-BSA-PCL and (131)I-BSA-PCL, was rapid and reached maximal levels 4 h after incubation, but the (131)I uptake of (131)I-EGFR-BSA-PCL was higher than that of (131)I-BSA-PCL. On day 15, the average tumor volumes of the (131)I-EGFR-BSA-PCL and (131)I-BSA-PCL groups showed a slow growth relationship compared with that of the control group. The EGFR-targeted nanoparticle EGFR-BSA-PCL demonstrated superior cellular binding and uptake

The interaction between alprazolam (Alp) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been investigated under physiological conditions by UV–vis, steady state as well as time-resolved fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic and molecular docking studies. The binding constant K of Alp to BSA was found to be 1.8×10{sup 5} L mol{sup −1} from absorption data. Fluorometric studies suggested the formation of the Alp–BSA complex, while time-resolved fluorescence studies showed that the binding of Alp by BSA was mainly static and the effective rate constant is found to be 2.33×10{sup 13} L mol{sup −1} s{sup −1}. According to the modified Stern–Volmer equation, the Stern–Volmer quenching constants (K{sub SV}) between Alp and BSA at four different temperatures 295, 303, 308, 313 K were obtained to be 1.19×10{sup 5}, 1.05×10{sup 5}, 0.99×10{sup 5} and 0.90×10{sup 5} L mol{sup −1}, respectively. The change in enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) were calculated to be −11.66 and 57.64 J mol{sup −1} K{sup −1}, respectively, indicating that the interaction was hydrophobic in nature. Site marker competitive experiments suggested that the binding of Alp to BSA primarily took place in sub-domain IIA, whereas the binding distance (r) between Alp and the tryptophan residue of BSA was obtained to be 1.87 nm by Förster's theory of non-radiative energy transfer. The conformational studies by CD spectroscopy showed that the presence of Alp decreased the α-helical content of BSA and induced the unfolding of the polypeptide of the protein. The change in conformation was also supported by excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMS) studies. The molecular docking experiment supports the above results and effectively proves the binding of Alp to BSA. -- Highlights: • Alprazolam: a benzodiazepine drug with anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties. • Alprazolam induces conformational change on the native as well as urea denatured BSA. • Alprazolam may

The interaction between imazethapyr (IMA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. The Stern-Volmer quenching constant (K{sub SV}) at three temperatures was evaluated in order to determine the quenching mechanism. The dependence of fluorescence quenching on viscosity was also evaluated for this purpose. The results showed that IMA quenches the fluorescence intensity of BSA through a static quenching process. The values of the binding constant for the formed BSA-IMA complex and the number of binding sites were found to be 1.51 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 5} M{sup -1} and 0.77, respectively, at room temperature. Based on the calculated thermodynamic parameters, the forces that dominate the binding process are hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces, and the binding process is spontaneous and exothermic. The quenching of protein fluorescence by iodide ion was used to probe the accessibility of tryptophan residues in BSA and the change in accessibility induced by the presence of IMA. According to the obtained results, the BSA-IMA complex is formed in the site where the Trp-134 is located, causing it to become less exposed to the solvent. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fluorescence spectroscopy helps to understand protein binding mechanisms. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quenching measurements reveal the nature of the binding process involved. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Iodine ion can be used to study the change in accessibility of tryptophan residues. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thermodynamic parameters for the binding reaction confirm binding modes.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Numerous proteins can be converted to amyloid-like fibrils to increase cytotoxicity and induce apoptosis, but the methods generally require a high concentration of protein, vigorous shaking, or fibril seed. As well, the detailed mechanism of the cytotoxic effects is not well characterized. In this study, we have developed a novel process to convert native proteins into the fibrillar form. We used globular bovine serum albumin (BSA as a model protein to verify the properties of the fibrillar protein, investigated its cellular effects and studied the signaling cascade induced by the fibrillar protein. Results We induced BSA, a non-cytotoxic globular protein, to become fibril by a novel process involving Superdex-200 column chromatography in the presence of anionic or zwittergenic detergent(s. The column pore size was more important than column matrix composite in fibril formation. The fibrillar BSA induced apoptosis in BHK-21 cell as well as breast cancer cell line T47D. Pre-treating cells with anti-integrin antibodies blocked the apoptotic effect. Fibrillar BSA, but not globular BSA, bound to integrin, dephosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (FAK, Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β. Conclusion We report on a novel process for converting globular proteins into fibrillar form to cause apoptosis by modulating the integrin/FAK/Akt/GSK-3β/caspase-3 signaling pathway. Our findings may be useful for understanding the pathogenesis of amyloid-like fibrils and applicable for the development of better therapeutic agents that target the underlying mechanism(s of the etiologic agents.

Molecular mechanisms of ethanol interaction with proteins are not well-understood. In the present study, direct interaction of ethanol with hydrophobic binding sites on fatty acid free bovine serum albumin (BSA) was determined using the fluorescent probe 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (1,8-ANS), cis-parinaric acid, and 13C NMR. The affinity of ethanol for BSA (Kd) was (5.21 +/- 0.31) x 10(-2) mol. Ethanol (25-200 mmol) competitively inhibited 1,8-ANS binding to BSA in a concentration-dependent manner with a Ki (concentration of ethanol that decreased 1,8-ANS binding by 50%) of 658 mmol. Preincubation of BSA with ethanol significantly decreased cis-parinaric acid binding to BSA, indicating interaction of ethanol with hydrophobic fatty acid-binding site(s) on BSA. Furthermore, ethanol was found to act on three of the five fatty acid-binding sites on BSA. These data indicated selectivity in the interaction of ethanol with hydrophobic sites on BSA. 13C NMR multiplet relaxation was used to characterize the interaction of ethanol with binding sites on BSA. Detailed analysis of [13C]ethanol relaxation data obtained in the presence of increasing BSA concentrations (25-200 mg/mL) led to the conclusion that the ethanol methyl group, as opposed to its hydroxyl group, binds in a hydrophobic pocket(s) on the protein. Ethanol-induced changes in activity of certain proteins may result from direct binding of ethanol to specific hydrophobic binding sites and/or displacement of endogenous ligands from those sites.

In this work, the fluorescence quenching was used to study the interaction of cyanuric acid (CYA) and uric acid (UA) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) at two different temperatures (283 K and 310 K). The bimolecular quenching constant (Kq), apparent quenching constant (Ksv), effective binding constant (KA) and corresponding dissociation constant (KD), binding site number (n) and binding distance (r) were calculated by adopting Stern-Volmer, Lineweaver-Burk, Double logarithm and overlap integral equations. The results show that CYA and UA are both able to obviously bind to BSA, but the binding strength order is BSA + CYA < BSA + UA. And then, the interactions of CYA and UA with melamine (MEL) under the same conditions were also studied by using similar methods. The results indicates that both CYA and UA can bind together closely with melamine (MEL). It is wished that these research results would facilitate the understanding the formation of kidney stones and gout in the body after ingesting excess MEL.

Proteins play important roles in the process of biomineralization. Vaterite and calcite have been synthesized by the reaction of Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} and CaCl{sub 2} in the bovine serum albumin (BSA) and agar system. The samples have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The shape of CaCO{sub 3} crystal has been analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The results show that calcite is a single product in the absence of BSA, but the product is a mixture of calcite and vaterite in the presence of BSA. The spheral shell of CaCO{sub 3} crystal was obtained when the concentration of BSA increased to 9.0 mg/mL. - Highlights: • Biomimetic synthesis of hollow calcium carbonate • Calcification mechanisms in the presence of both protein and polysaccharides • Biomineralization under the action of protein and polysaccharides.

Full Text Available The binding of atenolol (selective β1-blocker and amlodipine (calcium channel blocker to bovine serum albumin (BSA was studied by equilibrium dialysis method in order to have an insight into the binding chemistry of these two to BSA. Free atenolol concentration was increased due to addition of amlodipine which reduced the binding of the compounds to BSA. However, the free fraction was increased to a level as it was expected from direct competitive displacement while the free atenolol concentration was increased according to increasing the amlodipine concentration when only the BSA was present. The result obtained when the binding site was blocked by sufficient amount of amlodipine was that the increment of free concentration of atenolol was prominent. When no amlodipine was added the free concentration of atenolol was only 28% whereas this release was 93 % to 98.01% when amlodipine was added with increasing concentration.

Serum albumins as major target proteins can bind to other ligands leading to alteration of their pharmacological properties. The mechanism of interaction between norfloxacin (NFLX) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated. Fuorescence quenching of serum albumin by this drug was found to be a static quenching process. The binding sites number, n, apparent binding constant, K, and thermodynamic parameters were calculated at different temperatures. The distance, r, between donor, BSA, and acceptor, NFLX, was calculated according to the Forster theory of non-radiation energy transfer. Also binding characteristics of NFLX with BSA together with its displacement from its binding site by kanamycin and effect of common metal ions on binding constant were investigated by the spectroscopic methods. The conformational change in the secondary structure of BSA upon interaction with NFLX was investigated qualitatively from synchronous fluorescence spectra, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectrometric methods. Molecular docking studies were performed to obtain information on the possible residues involved in the interaction process and changes in accessible surface area of the interacting residues. The results showed that the conformation of BSA changed in the presence of NFLX. For the first time, displacement studies were used for this interaction; displacement studies showed that NFLX was displaced by phenylbutazon and ketoprofen but was not displaced by ibuprofen indicating that the binding site of NFLX on albumin was site I. In addition a powerful chemometrics method, multivariate curve resolution-alternating least square, was used for resolution of spectroscopic augmented data obtained in two different titration modes in order to extract spectral information regardless of spectral overlapping of components. - Highlights: • Interaction between norfloxacin and BSA is studied by spectral methods. • Chemometrics methods are used to

Full Text Available To amplify the difference in localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR spectra of gold nano-islands due to intermolecular binding events, gold nanoparticles were used. LSPR-based optical biosensors consisting of gold nano-islands were readily made on glass substrates using evaporation and heat treatment. Streptavidin (STA and biotinylated bovine serum albumin (Bio-BSA were chosen as the model receptor and the model analyte, respectively, to demonstrate the effectiveness of this detection method. Using this model system, we were able to enhance the sensitivity in monitoring the binding of Bio-BSA to gold nano-island surfaces functionalized with STA through the addition of gold nanoparticle-STA conjugates. In addition, SU-8 well chips with gold nano-island surfaces were fabricated through a conventional UV patterning method and were then utilized for image detection using the attenuated total reflection mode. These results suggest that the gold nano-island well chip may have the potential to be used for multiple and simultaneous detection of various bio-substances.

Full Text Available In this study, we developed and validated a fast, specific, sensitive, precise and stability-indicating high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC method to determine the drug apocynin in bovine serum albumin (BSAnanoparticles. Chromatographic analyses were performed on an RP C18 column and using a photodiode array detector at a wavelength of 276 nm. Mobile phase consisted of a mixture of acetonitrile and 1% acetic acid (60:40, v/v, and it was eluted isocratically at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The retention time of apocynin chromatographic peak was 1.65 min. The method was linear, precise, accurate and specific in the range of 5–100 μg/mL. The intra- and inter-day precisions presented relative standard deviation (RSD values lower than 2%. The method was robust regarding changes in mobile phase proportion, but not for flow rate. Limits of detection and quantitation were 78 ng/mL and 238 ng/mL, respectively. Apocynin was exposed to acid and alkali hydrolysis, oxidation and visible light. The drug suffered mild degradation under acid and oxidation conditions and great degradation under alkali conditions. Light exposure did not degrade the drug. The method was successfully applied to determine the encapsulation efficiency of apocynin in BSAnanoparticles.

Herein we report the interaction of amphiphilic drug clomipramine hydrochloride (CLP—a tricyclic antidepressant) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) studied by fluorescence, UV–vis, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic techniques. Clomipramine hydrochloride is used to treat a variety of mental health problems. The quenching rate constant (k{sub q}) values, calculated according to the fluorescence data, decrease with increase in temperature indicating the static quenching procedure for the CLP–BSA interaction. The association binding constants (K{sub A}), evaluated at different conditions, and the thermodynamic parameters (free energy, enthalpy and entropy changes) indicate that the hydrophobic forces play a major role in the binding interaction of drug. The interaction of BSA with CLP was further confirmed by UV absorption spectra. Blue shift of position was detected due to the complex formation between the BSA–CLP. The molecular distance, r{sub 0}, between donor (BSA) and acceptor (CLP) was estimated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) whose value (4.47 nm) suggests high probability of static quenching interaction. The CD results prove the conformational changes in the BSA on binding with the drug. Thus, the results supply qualitative and quantitative understanding of the binding of BSA to CLP, which is important in understanding their effect as therapeutic agents. - Highlights: • BSA can be considered as a good carrier for transportation of CLP in vivo. • The fluorescence results indicated the presence of static quenching mechanism in the binding process. • CD spectra showed the change in molecular conformation of BSA in the presence of CLP. • The results have applicability in model drug delivery.

The structure and interaction in complexes of anionic Ludox HS40 silica nanoparticle, anionic bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein, and cationic dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) surfactant have been studied using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The results are compared with similar complexes having anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant (Mehan, S; Chinchalikar, A. J.; Kumar, S.; Aswal, V. K.; Schweins, R. Langmuir 2013, 29, 11290). In both cases (DTAB and SDS), the structure in nanoparticle-protein-surfactant complexes is predominantly determined by the interactions of the individual two-component systems. The nanoparticle-surfactant (mediated through protein-surfactant complex) and protein-surfactant interactions for DTAB, but nanoparticle-protein (mediated through protein-surfactant complex) and protein-surfactant interactions for SDS, are found to be responsible for the resultant structure of nanoparticle-protein-surfactant complexes. Irrespective of the charge on the surfactant, the cooperative binding of surfactant with protein leads to micellelike clusters of surfactant formed along the unfolded protein chain. The adsorption of these protein-surfactant complexes for DTAB on oppositely charged nanoparticles gives rise to the protein-surfactant complex-mediated aggregation of nanoparticles (similar to that of DTAB surfactant). It is unlike that of depletion-induced aggregation of nanoparticles with nonadsorption of protein-surfactant complexes for SDS in similarly charged nanoparticle systems (similar to that of protein alone). The modifications in nanoparticle aggregation as well as unfolding of protein in these systems as compared to the corresponding two-component systems have also been examined by selectively contrast matching the constituents.

The interaction mechanism between vitamin B12 (B12, cyanocobalamin) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been investigated by fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, ultraviolet-vis (UV) absorbance, and three-dimensional fluorescence. The intrinsic fluorescence of BSA was strongly quenched by the addition of B12 in different pH buffer solutions (pH 2.5, 3.5, 5.0, 7.4, and 9.0) and spectroscopic observations are mainly rationalized in terms of a static quenching process at lower concentration of B12 ( CB12/ CBSA B12 ( CB12/ CBSA > 5). The structural characteristics of B12 and BSA were probed, and their binding affinities were determined under different pH conditions. The results indicated that the binding abilities of B12 to BSA in the acidic and basic pH regions (pH 2.5, 3.5, 5.0, and 9.0) were lower than that at simulating physiological condition (pH 7.4). In addition, the efficiency of energy transfer from tryptophan fluorescence to B12 was found to depend on the binding distance r between the donor and acceptor calculated using Förster's theory. The effect of B12 on the conformation of BSA was analyzed using UV, synchronous fluorescence and three-dimensional fluorescence under different pH conditions. These results showed that the binding of B12 to BSA causes apparent change in the secondary and tertiary structures of BSA.

Graphene oxide (GO) had great potential in various applications especial biomedical materials. In this study, we improved the hemocompatibility especial hemolysis properties of GO nanosheets by grafting bovine serum albumin (BSA). The hemocompatibility of GO-g-BSA was improved. The hemolysis ratio of GO-g-BSA was lower than 0.2% and no visible hemoglobin release was observed. In a flowed condition, the interaction between GO and RBC was monitored real time by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and the hemolysis rates of eluted RBC solution was determined. The balance between the adsorption and degradation of RBC on the surface of GO was a linear process. The GO-g-BSA surface decreased the adhesion of RBC in a flowed condition, maintained the morphology of RBC and reduced the hemolysis rate in the most effective manner. The inert of BSA resisted GO interacting with the lipid bilayers of RBC and the negative charge on the surface of BSA repelled the approach of negative charged RBC. The excellent hemocompatibility of the BSA modified GO might confer its great potentials for various biomedical applications.

Full Text Available For reducing protein aggregation in foam fractionation, the role of pH-induced structural change in the interface-induced protein aggregation was analyzed using bovine serum albumin (BSA as a model protein. The results show that the decrease in pH from 7.0 to 3.0 gradually unfolded the BSA structure to increase the molecular size and the relative content of β-sheet and thus reduced the stability of BSA in the aqueous solution. At the isoelectric point (pH 4.7, BSA suffered the lowest level in protein aggregation induced by the gas–liquid interface. In the pH range from 7.0 to 4.7, most BSA aggregates were formed in the defoaming process while in the pH range from 4.7 to 3.0, the BSA aggregates were formed at the gas–liquid interface due to the unfolded BSA structure and they further aggregated to form insoluble ones in the desorption process.

The structural changes of bovine serum albumin (BSA) under high-intensity ultrasonication were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Evidence for the ultrasonication-induced conformational changes of BSA was provided by the intensity changes and maximum-wavelength shift in fluorescence spectrometry. Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS) revealed the increased intensity of the peak at the charge state +5 and a newly emerged peak at charge state +6, indicating that the protein became unfolded after ultrasonication. Prevalent unfolding of BSA after ultrasonication was revealed by hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry (HDX-MS). Increased intensity and duration of ultrasonication further promoted the unfolding of the protein. The unfolding induced by ultrasonication goes through an intermediate state similar to that induced by a low concentration of denaturant.